Harry's Questions
by TimeArtist
Summary: What happens when Harry starts asking questions when Hagrid took him shopping before first year? What happens when the goblins help Harry? And what happens when Harry's house doesn't include red and gold? Romance in later years.
1. Visiting Gringots

Hagrid lead Harry towards the large white marble building that overlooked Diagon Alley. Harry couldn't help but admire the building before him, before he thought of Hagrid's words earlier in the day. If his parents were so wealthy that they left him so much money, and they really weren't drunkards and all the other nasty things his aunt and uncle told him, then why was he always told that he was a strain on them and that his parents were broke? Why was he even with the Dursleys in the first place if his parents, and himself by extension, were considered heroes? There must have been someone out there that wanted him. Harry had many questions and few answers, and he had a feeling that Hagrid wouldn't be able to answer them all. He seemed pretty nice, but Harry could tell that he wasn't a wealth of knowledge. But Harry decided to see if he could get anything more out of the gently giant.

"Hagrid, how will I be able to get the money out of Gringotts?"

"I have your key right here in my pocket Harry." Harry looked at him hoping that he would explain further, but it looked like Hagrid thought that was really an answer.

"How do they know that the key belongs to me? And how did you get my key? Does that mean that anyone who has my key can take money from my vaults?"

"Well, the key is tide to your family and the goblins are able to tell which key belongs to who and which vault. The headmaster was the one to give me your key since he's your magical guardian and only you and he can get into you trust vault. Your family vault will be opened when you turn seventeen." Hagrid had a look of concentration trying to explain everything to Harry. He was slightly confused to why Harry would be asking all these questions before he was distracted by another question of Harry's.

"What's a goblin?"

"Goblins are little creatures that take care of the banks in the wizard world. They are very fierce warriors that you don't want to mess with. You're able to get your first look at them right now." Hagrid gestured to towards the bank that they were in front of. Up grand steps stood a gleaming, white bank that took Harry's breath away. And in front of the imposing building, was an even more imposing sight. Hagrid was right when he said that they were small, although everything compared to Hagrid was small, but they differently had an air about them that told of a warrior status. Harry couldn't help but slightly shiver while passing them. Thankfully he didn't see the grin that the guards shared when they noticed. They waited in line and then came up to a free teller, waiting for him to finish his work.

"What do you want?" The goblin's voice was scratchy and harsh while he looked at them with a sneer.

"Where here to make a withdrawal from Harry Potter's vault and pick to up a package from this vault for Dumbledore." Hagrid handed over a note and Harry's key. The goblin looked at the note and nodded before shouting something in a language Harry didn't understand. The goblin then looked at the key and then Harry. Harry had to stop himself from stepping back from his gaze. The goblin nodded again before shouting again.

"Hardclaw will take you to the retrieve the package while Griphook takes Mr. Potter to his vault." The goblin handed Harry his key back while two other goblins walked up. The teller was about to go back to his leader but was stopped by the small voice of Harry's.

"Excuse me Mr. Goblin, but is there someone who is in charge of my accounts? I'm very new to this world and I would really like to understand it a little better." The goblins around him, and even Hagrid, were a little surprised by this. Hagrid was surprised because he thought that he answered everything he needed to and Dumbledore didn't tell him what to do in this type of situation. The goblins on the other hand were surprised that someone would be so polite to them and that someone from a family as his didn't know anything. He should have been getting monthly reports from them since he was eight. This was going to cause heads to roll.

"Griphook will take you to your vault and then to the goblin that will help you with your account Mr. Potter. Anything else?"

"Yeah, could all keys to my vault be accounted for, or is that for the other goblin?"

"That will be for the other goblin."

"Oh, okay. Thank you." The teller nodded before pointing to Griphook. Harry nodded in thanks with a shy smile before following the goblin appointed to him. By the time Hagrid got over his shock, Harry was halfway across the lobby and the teller was gone with a 'closed' sign in his place. Hagrid shook his head and followed the sneering goblin impatient with all the waiting.

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The teller that handled Harry on the other hand was rushing down the halls to Ragnorock, the leader of the goblins, to tell him what he learned. To say that the message he was about to deliver was unpleasant was an understatement. The goblin just hoped that he wasn't about to lose his head over this while nocking on the door.

"Enter." Ragnorock was sitting at his huge desk doing whatever leaders of the goblin race did. The teller walked up to the desk and waited to be address. "Why are you not on the floor teller?"

"I have some upsetting news about one of the noble and ancient houses that are under our domain, my lord."

"Explain."

"Harry Potter, from the Noble and Ancient house of Potters, came into the bank today in old, oversized clothes. He looked underfeed and it seems that his mail from us was either intercepted or never sent out since he has no idea of his birthright." Ragnorock wasn't pleased by this, but it seemed that the teller was about to make him even madder. Unfortunately, he was correct. "That is not all, my lord. It seems that Dumbledore did it on purpose because his pet half-giant was the one who had his key. Mr. Potter wishes to speak to someone in charge of his accounts. I thought to bring this to your attention rather than Riphound."

"Wise decision, teller." Ragnorock pushed a rune on his desk and a runner goblin came in a second later. "Bring me Riphound immediately as well as the master ledger for his accounts." The little goblin ran when he saw the look on his face. Whatever Riphound did, he highly doubted that he would make it without being sent to the dragon pits, if not worse. "Where is Mr. Potter now?"

"He is making a withdrawal from his trust account at the moment. When he is done, I will send him to whomever you choose, Lord Ragnorock." Ragnorock reclined in his chair while he thought. There were many that he trusted but this was a very special case. If Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, went to the press and lumped them with the others that have done him wrong, than the relations with other wizards would be even worse than it is now. It took all of his control to keep his Britain brothers from attacking the arrogant wizards that they have to deal with on a daily bases. But if handled properly, they could use this to be there advantage. With that in his mind, he made a decision.

"I want Mr. Potter brought to me. This is something I will have to handle to get even close to the results I want." Before either one of them was able to think of that further, there was a knock on the door before the runner and Riphound came into the office. "You may go runner and teller, myself and Riphound have much to discuss about his performance here at the bank." Riphound couldn't help but gulp. He had a feeling that one of his shadier dealings was about to reviewed. Hopefully it was only about one of the lesser family. His hopes were dashed when Ragnorock spoke.

"How are the Potter's accounts coming along?" Riphound paled at that. He was so going to get beheaded. "By the look on your face, not very well. Since Mr. Potter is in the bank at the moment you're going to give me the shortened version. If it matches your master ledger, then your death will only be minutely painful. But if I find that you were lying to me or you've done this is other high accounts, then you will be wishing for a long and painful death. Let me tell you now though, that any lie will only lengthen your torture at my hands." The sinister look on Ragnorock's face made him start confessing quickly. Hopefully he would only be tortured for a week before he was killed.

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The bank teller went back to his desk right before Mr. Potter and Griphook came back from the carts. He opened his teller desk and motioned them over. It looked like Griphook was answering some general questions while the teller studied them. Usually when one of the little humans were curious, they irritated the goblins they were asking. With idiot parents, it wasn't that much of a surprise, but it didn't seem to be the case. The teller had to think that it was because the little human was respectful to them. With that thought, he turned his attention back to the two coming towards him while some of the other patrons in line got even more irritable for having to wait a minute longer. He spared them a sneer before looking at Mr. Potter and Griphook.

"Take him to Lord Ragnorock. He will be handling Mr. Potter's accounts until further notice." Griphook widened his eyes before schooling his features. Griphook nodded his head before leading Harry towards Ragnorock's office.

"Who is Ragnorock?" Griphook looked towards Harry before looking straight ahead. Harry has been asking him questions most of the time that they were together.

"Ragnorock is the leader of the goblin nation. The only time that he personally deals with an account is if one of our more bigger holders have been wrong. I have a feeling that you fall under that description." Harry nodded at that. With the amount of gold that he had in his trust account and learning that he had other accounts that he would receive once he reached seventeen, which was the legal age in the wizarding world. Harry just hoped that nothing too bad happened with his accounts, but he also realized that if he was going to be going to the goblin leader than it might be something big.

"I'm guessing that the manager of my account isn't going to be around to long?" Griphook's answering smile was the only answer he needed while they walked through the maze of halls. After walking for another minute, they made it to Ragnorock's office. With a knock from Griphook he left Harry with a nod. Harry went into Ragnorock's office that he was in awe of. It was large office with weapons lining the walls and some artwork between them. Harry's attention was brought to the goblin behind the large, wooden desk when Ragnorock cleared his throat.

"Mr. Potter, it is a pleasure to see you. Unfortunately it seems that your account has been mismanaged. It also seems that your magical guardian has been neglecting in his duties to you."

"Yes, Hagrid said that a man named Dumbledore was my magical guardian, but I've never seen or heard from him. Not to mention that my aunt and uncle lied to me about my parents. I have a feeling that I'm going to need a lawyer as well as my regular school supplies."

"You can do that through us for a slight fee, depending on the amount of work we need." Harry nodded at that. "Now, since I've only had such a short time to look at your account, let's go over that first and then we can go over the reasons why you want legal counsel and anything else that might come up. Do you have any questions at this point?"

"Yes. I really don't want to go to my relative's home, which will be relevant to the legal counsel. I was wondering if there were other inns other than the one I came through?"

"Yes. I can make a reservation for you at the Sight Inn off of Vertical Alley. It is more high in than the other inns here." At Harry's nod Ragnorock wrote on a piece of parchment to his right side. The ink disappeared and Harry assumed that it was the goblin's version of e-mail. "Anything else? Good, then we can go over your accounts. Now since the knowledge of the wizarding world has been denied to you, I want to explain to you that usually, when there is only one person left within a family line that is under-aged, their accounts are managed by their magical guardian. When the heir of the line turns eight, they start to receive account reports of everything they have, although they still don't have any control over anything except any heir vaults that they may have. Any questions so far?"

"Do I have more than one heir vault?" Ragnorock went through some papers before finding the one he wanted.

"It seems that you have the Potter heir vault through your father as well as the Black heir vault through your godfather who left you everything." Ragnorock's brow crunched in confusion.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Sirius Black was appointed your godfather and your appointed guardian should anything happen to your parents. It is said that he betrayed your parents, which is the reason you are an orphan. If he truly is your parent's betrayer, then it is strange that is left you his heir even if he wasn't the Black Head at the time."

"Is there a trial transcript that I can review?"

"I will look into it for our next meeting." Harry nodded at this and Ragnorock moved onto his previous explanation. "Now, you should have received monthly reports about your holdings once a month but your teller has informed me that wasn't the case. Be assured that the account manager is being … investigated as we speak."

"He's still alive?"

"For now, Mr. Potter. Now, back to your holdings. Usually a heir can only become the head of their family on their seventeenth birthday, which is the age of maturity in the wizarding world. The only exception is when there is not living relative, blood or married, to be regent. This applies to you as you can gain control of all the Potter vaults when you turn fourteen and apply for adulthood. You won't be able to gain the Black vaults until your seventeenth birthday. If he hasn't died by that time, then you can petition the courts that he is incompetent due to him being in jail and gain control of the Black vaults then, minus anything distributed through his will." Harry nodded his head in understanding before realizing something.

"Did my parents leave a will? I have a feeling that I wasn't to go to my aunt and uncle."

"It seems that Dumbledore said that he was in control of you and your account manager illegally allowed it. Your parent's wills were never read, although if what you say is true, then Dumbledore will be in serious trouble. Unfortunately, he has a lot of power in the wizarding world and will probably only get a slap on the wrist. That means that at most he will have to give you a hefty fine, on top of whatever else he might have done."

"How was he able to get away with this?" Harry was starting to get angry at the man that made almost a decade of his life a living hell. Until a few days ago he was living under a cupboard. No regular meals and his whale of a cousin's cast offs as clothes was only the peak of his life with the Durleys. Ragnorock's sigh brought Harry out of his brooding.

"Dumbledore defeated a Dark Lord named Gellert before Voldemort became a problem. He was hailed as a hero. Not only that, but he holds important part in our government as well as being the British representative to the worldly wizard nations as well. Throw in being the headmaster as well, and you have just about every generation listening to him. It will take a while before he isn't held in strong regard, but this will be a start."

"Fine. Is there anything else that we need to go through before your investigation starts revealing anything?"

"Yes. It seems that Dumbledore withdrew money that was supposed to go towards your care. By the look of you, we'll be visiting our healers before you leave today. We will be collecting that money back as well as a fine for the theft. That is something we can do without the courts getting involved."

"Is there going to be an audit involved as well? Griphook said that old families have other things in the main vaults other than money." Ragnorock nodded at that and wrote that down.

"We will call back everything that belongs to you and put it in your heir vault. Dumbledore will also be fined 1,000 galleons for every item that is a Potter heirloom. These will also be made public knowledge which will be issued in the Daily Prophet. Since both of you are high profile people, it will probably make the front page, so be prepared Mr. Potter. You are going to see just how important you are. I suggest that when you get your school books, that you also get books on wizard law, customs, history, as well as mind magicks. These will help you in the future." Harry nodded his head in understanding while trying to think of anything else he might need. In the end Harry decided to just see whatever caught his attention.

"Do you happen to have my parent's wills?"

"No, but we will find it and have it read. You will get an owl when we are ready."

"How is that going to work since all other mail hasn't made it to me?"

"We are giving you a mail box free of charge for the next ten years. After that it will cast the yearly 5 galleons. All mail will be redirected to the mail box and check for any curses, hexes or potions attached to them and nullified with a report. The box only handles incoming mail. All outgoing mail will be dealt with your own owl that you can find in the pet shop on Diagon Alley. That is all that I have on your accounts at the moment. Are there any other questions before we go further with your legal representation?"

"How long do you think it will take for the investigation? I'll be going to Hogwarts soon."

"As the last living heir, you can inform your head of house that you have business with us as long as you give them a 48hrs warning. If they stop you, they can be arrested for interfering with an Ancient and Noble house. Remind them of that and they will back off. You'll also get a portkey, which is a form of transportation, which will get you here once you're outside the Hogwarts' gates with an activation word. Now, for your legal counsel. When your parent's wills are read, Dumbledore is going to be in trouble. How much will depend on how much of the will he disregarded. The least we'll get is a number of fines and him be discredited. The best we can hope for is him losing one or more of his positions in the ministry and possibly his headmaster position if we can swing it as him being a danger to the other students. Do you have any questions or anything else to add before taking you to our healers?"

"Yes. My relatives didn't really treat me with the best of care." Ragnorock narrowed his eyes at this. The mistreatment of children was something every goblin and wizard took seriously. It was one of the few things that both species agreed with. All children were to be cherished and treated with care. "For all of my stay there, excluding the last week or so, I've lived under the stairs in the cupboard."

"WHAT! Those filthy muggles dare to treat a child like that?!" Harry leaned back within his seat. He had a feeling that this part of the conversation was going to raise the goblin's blood pressure.

"Umm, you might not like the next part I'm about to say." When it looked like Ragnorock got control of himself, Harry gave him an overview of what he lived through. The starving, the beatings and neglect from his relatives as well as the two times he tried to get help only to be beaten and thrown into his 'room' for days on end with only water and a handful of bathroom breaks so he didn't completely stink the house up. Harry also told about the impossible chores he had to do and the punishments he would get when he didn't complete them or did them wrong. By the time Harry was through, Ragnorock looked like he was willing to hunt down Harry's relatives. It took a while for Ragnorock to calm down enough to talk somewhat calmly to Harry.

"We will get the evidence we need from the healers and then charge them with child abuse. We have contacts in the muggle world to do this. Then we will go after Dumbledore as best we can, but as I said, he is well connected. At least this will set him up for future attacks when we are presented with an opportunity. A man like him probably has more secrets that need to be brought to light." The furious look Ragnorock gave made Harry almost feel sorry for Dumbledore. Then he thought about his life and it was immediately scorched.

"I'll call a runner to lead you to the healers while arranging everything else we've talked about." Harry gave his thanks and was then lead towards the healers. Ragnorock took a breath before getting to work. First with ordering a total work up for Harry, have a portkey made, and then have one of the wizards working for Gringotts to take Harry around to get everything. After that the legal aspects needed to be started on before Ragnorock could go back to Harry's account along with the fifteen other accounts that were robbed from. Riphound was so going to pay for this and Ragnorock wasn't going to give him death until after everything was sorted. And with all of his other duties, it was going to take a while.


	2. Leaving Gringots

Harry was led down the hallway to the healers. He probably should of asked how the healers would heal him, but couldn't now. He was trying to keep up with the goblin in front of him without running. He had a feeling that wouldn't look nice with all the other goblins and wizards around giving him weird looks. After some more twist and turns, they came to a door with the healer sign that reminded Harry of that Greek god he learned about in school. Walking through the doors it seemed that everyone stopped what they were doing to look at him. The room was mixed between goblins and wizards that seemed to be huddled together talking. One of the goblins came over to great him while dismissing the goblin that brought him.

"Mr. Potter, my name is Slamclaw and I will be your head healer today. Lord Ragnorock has already informed us that we will be doing a complete workup since your upbringing was less than welcome. We as healers are bound to not repeat anything found out except to those you have already authorized with Lord Ragnorock. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir. Is there something that I'll need to do?"

"At this moment, you just need to sit on this table here." Slamclaw led Harry to the table that was next to the other occupants of the room. "The wizard healers will be using their wands while we goblins will be using wandless magic. We need you to lie still until we are done. Once done, we will go from there to see what needs to be done." Harry liked that, so he scooted further up onto the table and lied down. Slamclaw nodded to everyone and they began to work. 30minutes later they were done and reviewing their results while Harry swung his legs from the table. By the looks of everyone, it didn't look good. After another 10minutes Slamclaw came over to talk to Harry.

"Mr. Potter, it seems that there is some dark energy in your scar. Right now your magic and the magic of your mother is keeping the dark energy from affecting you at the moment. We are not sure how long it will last, but we need to get it out of you as soon as possible. The only downside is that as you are, there is a 50/50 chance that you won't survive. On the other hand, if we strengthen you, the dark energy might get stronger as well. Not to mention we are unable to tell what magic your mother used to protect you so we don't know what will happen after we get you to an acceptable health with the taint in you. At the end, the choice is yours." Harry was slightly pale and green at the same time. It wasn't hard to figure out that Voldemort was the reason he had dark energy in him. To think that he carried a piece of his parent's murderer was making him ill. Not only that, there was a pretty good chance that he might die while getting the energy out of him.

"Do you know if my chances would have been increased if this was taken care of sooner?"

"Yes, if you were brought to a healer, he or she would have found the taint in your scar and taken it out of you. You would not have been in any danger. Now, with you having your magical power coming in, that isn't the case. Every year that the taint is in you decreases the chance of you surviving the extraction." Harry nibbled on his bottom lip for a moment before making a decision.

"Let's get this thing out of me before we do anything else. How are you going to get it out of me?"

"We will go to the ritual room. We will prepare it and you. You are going to bathe in a purifying solution. After both you and the room is ready, you will be lead to the ritual room. I will have to warn you Mr. Potter that you will only be in a lone clothe for the remainder of the ritual." At Harry's nod of understanding, Slamclaw continued on. "The type of ritual we're going to use is a cleansing ritual with an exorcism of sorts to make sure all of it is out of you. Any questions?"

"Will it affect my mother's magic?"

"No. Since your mother's magic is aiding you, it will remain behind. I'm not sure how it will affect you, but considering how good it is, it won't do negative to you. Is there anything else?"

"How long will the ritual last?"

"It could last anywhere between one hour to several. You will be tired from this as well so we are going to keep you overnight to watch you for any complications. After that, we will start the healing regiments needed to make you healthy." Harry nodded at that. Slamclaw took that as Harry not having any more questions and lead him into the bath chamber while the other healers went to prepare the ritual rooms and themselves.

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Harry was lying on a stone slab with only a small piece of cloth hiding his bits. He was slightly cold but he's been even more uncomfortable before, so it wasn't too bad. His glasses were with one of the healers so he couldn't see anything beyond a blur, but he did know that the walls were glowing with some type of writing that turned out to be runes from what Slamclaw explained it to be. All they were waiting for was some last minute calculations for the ritual before starting. By the time they were done, Harry was slightly dozing.

"Mr. Potter, we are about to start the ritual. At first you might feel overly warm but towards the end it might be painful depending how much the taint tries to fight back. Whatever happens, don't give into the taint. If you do so than any chance of survival will be lost. Is this understood?"

"Yes. Let's get this over with." Slamclaw nodded at this and motioned for everyone to get into position. Since Harry couldn't see what was happening around him, the chanting was the only thing he could concentrate on. As Slamclaw predicted, 30minutes into the ritual Harry started to feel warm. He forced himself to stay still instead of fidget like he wanted to; although that was getting tougher to do the longer the ritual went on. The heat started getting uncomfortable, especially around the scar on his forehead.

Almost an hour into the ritual the chanting rose, as well as Harry's pain. Harry thought that he felt blood on his forehead before a terrible scream filled the room. The chanting grew, the runes on the wall glowed brighter, and Harry's screams joined the dark taint's as well. The healers were struggling to contain the darkness while making sure the small child in their care remained alive. Another 30minutes of this battle before it seemed that the healers were making any progress. Slamclaw had started talking to Harry to make sure he wasn't fading on them.

"My. Potter, you can push out the darkness. Don't let it create a hold on you." Harry seemed to have heard him because the taint seemed to become weaker than before. "That's it. We're almost there everyone. One more push and Voldemort's taint will be out of the boy!"

That seemed to give everyone a second wind, even Harry, and 10minutes later the taint was driven out of Harry with one final scream. The second team of healers moved in to check on Harry and the other healers that were doing the ritual. The healers were suffering from mild exhaustion that will be fixed with a pepper-up potion and rest. Harry on the other hand was in serious danger with magical exhaustion and was running a 101.2 fever.

"Get him into the main healing room. We have to give something for this fever and exhaustion before it gets worse!" They quickly moved him into the other room and started working on him. Another 15minutes later and Harry was no longer in critical danger, but the healers were still going to keep a close eye on him. They also removed some bones that weren't properly healed and gave him some skeleton-grow while he was out of it. This way they wouldn't be causing him any more pain when he regained consciousness.

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The next morning Ragnorock was going over the information that he collected the previous night. It seems that Dumbledore bribed Riphound with Harry's money, which meant any and all possessions were forfeit to Harry's accounts. Ragnorock also informed Madam Bones about the abuse that Harry endured at his relatives' hand as well as Dumbledore's role in the matter. To say that the woman was angry was like saying a goblin was good at numbers, a huge understatement. He passed on the information that he had as well as an invite to the will reading to see what other charges could be brought against the headmaster. The only downside is that the charges would be happening after Harry went to Hogwarts. If it was anyone else, they would have been arrested, but with Dumbledore's pull, they needed an air tight case. A case that would take longer than five days to put together by the mess Riphound left.

With a sigh Ragnorock took a look at the audit they were able to do. Thankfully, the Potters registered everything no matter if it was within the goblin's care or not. The only thing that was missing was one deathly hollow, three family books, and two art pieces. They were immediately recalled and put into the trust vault for later withdrawal. Ragnorock was so going to enjoy tormenting Riphound for the mess he left. Ten other accounts, three of them belonging to Ancient and Noble houses, were found to be mishandled by Riphound. Ragnorock was going to be punishing Riphound for a while. Ragnorock's attention was interrupted by knocking on his door.

"Enter." Slamclaw entered the office with the reports on Harry's treatments as well as past injuries to be forwarded to Madam Bones. With that, she would be able to press charges by 9am with the wizarding and muggle world. Restraining a smirk at what they will face, he turned his attention to the healer's report.

"Mr. Potter is recovering remarkable well from the removal of the dark magic from himself. He did have a fever during the night, but it broke around 1am this morning."

"Were you able to figure out what type of dark magic was residing within Mr. Potter?"

"It seems that Tom Riddle, aka Voldemort, created many Horcroxes to the point that his soul was unstable. Combined with the protection ritual yet be determined that Mrs. Potter used, it separated his soul again and caused it to launch onto Mr. Potter. Luckily, his mother's protection and his naturally large reserves of magic allowed the soul piece to remain separate from the child. Here is a more in-depth report if you have any more questions." Ragnorock took a quick glance at the report before putting it aside for later. He will have to decide if Madam Bones needed all the information or partial. He had another hour to decide if he wanted to keep to him timetable.

"What about his overall health before the ritual?" Slamclaw handed him another report to look over while he talked.

"Mr. Potter is suffering from malnutrition, previously broken bones that healed incorrectly, some brain damage to his memory due to at least one case of blunt force trauma, weak bones because of the malnutrition, some organ damage, and stunted growth being the main problems he faces. Most can be fixed with time and potions, but he will never reach his maximum high nor will his bones as strong as they could be without taking drastic measures that could cause more harm than good at this point in time. There also may be some memory problems, but we can't be sure at the moment."

"Explain."

"It seems the Mr. Potter's magic is already use to healing its host with little to no outside help. With us spelling nutrition and healing potions into him, it seems to have made the healing faster and stronger than before. It is similar to a healing sleep, but in smaller bursts. Right now the magic seems to be focusing on his brain, bone and muscle development." Ragnorock nodded at this. He looked at the report before him to see what type of outside care that Harry would need. Nutrition potions for the malnutrition, stomach soother so Harry wouldn't get sick with eating more food, and calcium potions to help his bones along with others for his overal health.

"What about the soul piece? What happened to that?"

"After it was removed from Mr. Potter, it was unable to survive outside a host and dissipated. There seemed to be an item that responded to the soul piece before it dissipated. The vault number and information is with this report." Slamclaw handed Ragnorock his final report. "I had the item removed as our policies."

"Good. Is Mr. Potter still sleeping?"

"To my knowledge he is."

"When he wakes, feed him and give him the first dose of his medicine. Once he's done eating, provide clothes and have a runner bring him. You and the other healers will be compensated for your hard work." Slamclaw bowed and left Ragnorock to his work. Ragnorock let out another sigh before looking at the clock. 6:12am and there was so much to do, but time was money. Making a copy of Harry's medical file, Ragnorock set that aside and looked at the ritual report to see what information Madam Bones might need.

00000000000000000 6:35am 00000000000000000000

Harry woke up to sore limbs and a blinding headache. For a moment he thought that he was back under his cupboard after one of Uncle Vernon's beatings before remembering that he was in Gringotts. Opening his eyes, Harry realized two things. The first was that he was in the room he met the healers in before going to the ritual room. The second thing Harry realized is that his eye sight was much better than before. Instead of blurry vision for anything more than an inch away from his face, he was able to see a couple of feet before things started to go out of focus.

"Well, it looks like our patient is awake. Do you need your glasses?" Harry turned to his left to see one of the wizard healers from the night before. He was about 6'2", pale skin, and brown hair and eyes with a reassuring smile that made Harry smile back at him.

"No, it seems that my eyes have improved."

"Really? Let me give you a quick check up to see." Harry nodded his head and held still while the healer waved his wand over him. That reminded Harry that he needed to get his wand and everything else before going off to Hogwarts. Harry hoped that there were classes on healing at Hogwarts since it seemed interesting.

"How long was I sleeping?"

"Only for the night. You're actually up sooner than expected, especially after that fever you had during the night. Luckily it broke earlier this morning, and it seems that I'm done." The healer looked over the parchment results to see how else Harry improved.

"What is the time healer…?"

"Oh, my apologies. My name is Healer Joshua. I was here last night getting that nasty piece of magic out of you. And it seems that your eyes aren't the only thing about you that's improved. Your bones and muscles have strengthened and the damage to your brain has reversed somewhat. That should help with your memory and retention. Very important things when starting your first year at Hogwarts since most of the classes start out with theoretical knowledge before moving on to the practical application." Joshua sent a wink at Harry while setting the results in his medical file. "Since you're awake, we can order you something to eat while we go over the potions you're going to have to take for the next couple of months to get you to the level we want you to be. How does that sound?"

"Sounds good, but is there a bathroom I can go to before we start?"

"Sure. I'll order your breakfast and get you a change of clothes."

00000000000 7:13am 0000000000

Madam Amelia Bones has been in her office for over an hour waiting for the reports from the goblins. When Ragnorock had contacted her the previous day she was shocked. One reason being that the lord of the goblins personally calling her about a child abuse case was rare in itself, but to find out that the abused child was Harry Potter was even more remarkable. The other reason that this case was so shocking was the possibility that Albus Dumbledore was the reason that he was abused and went against someone's will was sickening. From what Ragnorock told her, Dumbledore would be facing a lot of charges, although with his pull Ragnorock doubted that he would get any prison time. Well, she didn't get this far by greasing palms like some of the other department heads. Well, she was going to show Ragnorock why she was one of the most feared witches as well as the department head to the aurors. Albus Dumbledore would be sent to prison if it was the last thing she did. Little did she know that the evidence needed would be arriving in the next thirty minutes.

00000000 7:20am 00000000000

Albus Dumbledore was not happy at the moment. Yesterday he sent Hagrid out to collect Harry Potter for him. Usually when there is a need to send a representative from Hogwarts one of the more reliable teachers would have gone. But since he wanted Harry to have blind faith in him, Hagrid was the perfect person to send. Unfortunately, Harry didn't seem to want to follow his plans. Hagrid had returned from Diagon Alley only spending about an hour with Harry, most of the time spent over lunch. By the time he came back from the vault with the Philosopher Stone, Harry was already meeting with his account manager. The goblins hadn't allowed Hagrid to wait for Harry, let alone take him like he was suppose to. When Hagrid had explained that the goblins had Harry after informing them that he didn't know anything about the wizarding world, it took every ounce of control in Dumbledore's body not to curse the half-giant. If the goblins looked closely, then they would figure out that he illegally got control over Harry as well as his vaults. There was also the fact that he had a couple of artifacts that belonged to the Potters the he should have handed over long ago. With a sigh, Dumbledore took out some parchment and ink to write to Riphound. Hopefully, he would be able to manage the situation enough that whatever punishment Dumbledore would face would be slight. Little did he know that his fate was already on its way to Amelia Bones, one of the few people that didn't bow to him like he trained the rest of the wizarding world. Leading the wizarding world to the greater good was about to bite Albus Percival Wilfrid Brain Dumbledore in the ass even before the students were able to settle in Hogwarts.

0000000000 8:03am 0000000000000000

Harry Potter was sitting in Ragnorock's office waiting for him to finish his report. Ragnorock's desk seemed to be buried under paper and Harry hoped that everything on it didn't concern him directly or he would be spending another day in the goblin's care. And with only five more days until he had to go to Hogwarts, Harry didn't want to wait till the last moment to get the items he needed. He also wanted to read some of the books he needed and was recommended to him. Not to mention that he has some other questions that he forgot to ask yesterday.

"Thank you Mr. Potter for waiting. As you can see, I am a little busier than usual with looking over your accounts as well as the others Riphound was in charge of. It seemed that he would steal from these accounts to raise his own, and at times others, standing."

"Was Dumbledore the main person that he worked with?"

"No. It seems that Dumbledore only did this to you, but considering how much power you hold in this world, it is not that surprising. That is one of the things I wanted to talk to you about before we send you out." Harry showed his understanding. Ragnorock took a breath before beginning.

"You, Mr. Potter, are very popular in the wizarding world, like I told you before. You are seen as a hero, and because of that the media will be after you. Now, you could use this to your advantage or they could use you. I would suggest that you use them to get the public to your side. You don't have to tell them anything, or trust them at their word alone, but you can tell them enough that whatever they write will be in your favor. The best one for this will be Rita Seeker. She is a vile, manipulative woman who enjoys bringing people down to sell her story, perfect if you have her sign a contract like this one to insure her compliance with you."

"Why would she sign something if she could just write anything she wants? It seems like she is one of those journalist that gets away with just about anything for gossip rags like in the muggle world."

"True, but if you promise exclusive stories as well as allude to your life, she will be beside herself to get you all to herself. Not to mention that your family is very powerful. With your backing, even if there isn't, it will give her security that her usual blackmail doesn't. All you have to do is insure that she writes the truth and that she doesn't use her Quick Quill when interviewing you. Those things can easily twist words just as we breathe." Harry nodded at this while looking over the contract. It looked simple and straight forward to him and there didn't seem any loop-holes in Seeker's favor. With another nod, Harry turned his attention back to Ragnorock.

"There is also the fact that your father held seats within the Wizengamot, the wizarding government, which allows the family to vote on important matters. The amount of votes a family is able to cast depends on their standing as well as their fortune. If the family is a Noble family, then they hold one vote, an Ancient family holds two, a Noble and Ancient family holds three, and any combination of a Most Noble and Most Ancient family has four. Do you understand so far?"

"What do you mean by any combination of Most Noble and Most Ancient?"

"A family is considered Most Ancient if they are able to trace their wizarding linage on both side to the time of Merlin. This is very rare since you have to be a direct descendant. Since most families today are considered as a minor branch of these families, very few are able to be considered Most Ancient. The only example I can give you are the Blacks. They are called the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, which means that they automatically get four votes. On the other hand, there are more Most Noble houses. A family gets that by continually improving the wizarding ward for at least six generations within a ten generation span. An example of this is the Ancient and Most Noble House of McStine. They created potions and improved healing techniques that saved many lives within ten generations. It didn't mean that all of the members of the McStine family contributed in that ten generation time, just that six of them were able to improve wizarding life. The matter is usually voted in the Wizengamot upon a nomination. There are also Most Ancient and Most Noble houses, but unfortunately there hasn't been one of those since the Founder's time."

"Okay, I get it now. But you also said something about fortune."

"Yes. A family is able to get up to three extra votes depending on their wealth. Anything up to 100,000 galleons gets one vote. Between 100,001 galleons to 1,000,000 galleons receives two and anything about a million galleons receives three votes. Both the Blacks and the Potters have a net worth above one million."

"Meaning that the Potters have six votes to our seat and the Blacks hold seven votes to their seats."

"Correct, and since you are the heir to each of the families it means that you are in control of thirteen votes between the two seats. That can cause a swing towards or against a law or amendment that come through the Wizengamot depending on how close the margin is in voting. It seems that Dumbledore was using these votes to get his way illegally since he claimed to be your magical guardian and was executing your will. This has been forwarded to Madam Bones this morning with the other paperwork since he had no right to vote in such a matter."

"Have you found out other laws that he's broken?"

"We found that he held several Potter heirlooms that have been returned to your heir vault. Here is a list of the items that were returned to you. He was also been fined the appropriate amount. It also seems that the sealing of your parent's will was also done illegally. The only way he was able to get away with that was because it was a crazy time. Everyone was either celebrating Voldemort's demise or was mourning the loss of family members. Nobody noticed that he used an old law that was usually used against families that have been convicted of breaking serious laws that will cost them half of their lifetime in jail. With these as well as the abuse he allowed with you, Madam Bones might be able to get Dumbledore some jail time."

"You don't think that she will be able to do better? You make it sound like she's incompetent."

"On the contrary, she is one of the few ministry workers that can actually get the job done. It's just that I have seen men like Dumbledore. They create this image that makes it seem like they are impossible of doing any wrong, no matter if there is a mountain of evidence wrapped up for them." Harry could understand that, since his 'relatives' were like that. The Dursleys were a good, normal family that took in an orphan. It didn't matter that said orphan was always in Dudley's cast-offs, skinny as a bone, and constant injuries that never got treated, let alone the mountain of chorus that he had to do. Yet none of the neighbors or teachers did anything about it since the Dursleys were seen as the pillars of the community that could do no wrong. So Ragnorock wasn't dismissing Madam Bones' ability, but Dumbledore's image to the people. With a sigh, Harry turned his attention back to the goblin before him.

"Is there anything else that you found out before I go and collect my school supplies?"

"Not at the moment. The portkey and mailbox will be ready for you on your way out. Here is the report from the healers and a weeks' worth of potions that you will need as well as a list of places that you can order them from. You can also request that the school's mediwitch to administer them to you. We will also be appointing you one of our workers to help you with your supplies and making sure that you make it to the Sight Inn. Do not fight this Mr. Potter, you are underage. Even us goblins will not allow you to go off on your own." Harry pouted at that, but thought about it for a moment. He was in a new world, and it wouldn't hurt to have someone who actually knew magic to watch over him before going off to Hogwarts.

"Fine, but am I able to get some of the heirlooms that are in my vault?"

"Yes, although I suggest that you wait until Dumbledore is out of Hogwarts. He might try something and anything to get them back. Do you still wish to retrieve them?"

"No, I'll wait. Is there anything else we need to go over before I go?"

"Yes. Since both your father and godfather named you their heirs, you are able to receive the heir rings of both houses. The rings will help you from all minor curses, love spells and potions, and most mind magicks." Ragnorock took out two different boxes that had crest on both of them. Harry assumed that they belonged to each family and decided to get a book on crest for the future. "Place the Potter ring on your right ring finger and then place the Black ring on behind the Potter ring. This will show people who is your main family and what others you are to inherit." Harry did what Ragnorock told him. The Potter ring was the first to go on his finger, followed by the Black ring. Both glowed and heated up before resizing to fit Harry's finger.

"No one but you will be able to take the rings off. Anyone who tries will be dealt with by the ring's defenses, which will be anything from stunning the person for a few hours to death. It all depends on the family magicks that is imbedded within the ring(s)." Harry nodded his head before something crossed his mind.

"Have you found out anything about Sirius Black yet, or is that going to be covered in our next meeting?"

"At the moment we are only able to look into it. I also sent a request over to Madam Bones to look into his case. This might take time to figure out since most of the records from that time are a mess at best."

"Well, thank you. It will be good to figure out what went on. How about the wills my parents had?"

"The wills have been found. We are sending out letters to those who have been named in the wills. The reading is scheduled for September 8th at 10am. A copy of the wills will be given to Madam Bones to go towards the case against Dumbledore. After that, I'm sure that Madam Bones will want to talk to you about any questions she may have as well as give you information about what's going on. Again, if anyone tries to interfere, they will be arrested for it, so don't hesitate to inform either her or myself." The smile Ragnorock gave Harry made him second guess informing him at all. It looked like Ragnorock would enjoy whatever punishment dealt out a little too much for Harry's comfort. Harry decided that he should probably get going before Ragnorock decided to show him how goblins punished those who wrong their clients.

"Thank you for all the information that you've given me as well as healing me from my relatives 'care'. I believe that I should start retrieving my school supplies so I can be prepared for when school starts." Ragnorock nodded while activating the rune on his desk. A goblin runner, different than before, came into the room.

"Please take Mr. Potter to the front of the bank. Curse breaker Tombs should be waiting for Mr. Potter."

"Yes, sir."

"Be well, Mr. Potter. May your gold flow."

"Thank you again, Ragnorock, and may you gold flow as well." Harry followed the goblin out of the door toward the front lobby. Ragnorock sighed before looking at his desk. There still was much to do concerning Mr. Potter's accounts and others that were stressful under the best of circumstances. Add in Albus Dumbledore and the idiot humans that ran the wizarding world, it caused the goblin leader to become irritated. Luckily Riphound was there to take the edge off. Too bad he wished for a quick death. With another sigh, Ragnorock got back to work straightening out the mess before him.


	3. Rita Skeeter - Sharper than a Sword

The runner goblin lead Harry into the bank lobby and over to an aged wizard that was leaning against a column. He was 5'8" but had an aura that intimidated those around him. He had salt and pepper hair cut short to show off sharp features and a scar running from his left temple, across his nose and ending in the middle of his right check. What he lacked in height he made up for in his muscles that looked bigger than Harry's arms and legs put together. If Ragnorock wanted to make sure that he was safe, then he succeeded on looks alone. Harry didn't want to meet Mr. Tombs in a well-lit street let along a dark alley.

"Is this the kid I'm babysitting?" While Harry was looking Tombs over, the curse breaker was returning the favor. He knew who Harry was the moment he saw him, but was surprised at what he saw. No amount of warning could prepare him for the waft like appearance that he had. Harry's healing and proper clothes didn't take away from the fact that he looked like he was eight instead of eleven, skinny to the bone, and a walk that he saw most solders walked, always aware and waiting for a hit to come towards him. It took everything in him to not scowl considering that he had a ten year old son that was taller and more filled out than Harry and thinking why that was. Tombs got Harry's medical file since he had to make sure that he took all his medicine and making sure that Harry didn't do anything to overtask himself with. But that didn't mean that Tombs wasn't going to teach the kid some tricks to protect himself with. Harry Potter was one famous boy, but with the way he was looking, people would be trying to take advantage of him and his stuff for an easy knut.

"This is Mr. Potter, Curse-breaker Tombs. You are going to escort Mr. Potter around while he gets his school supplies. After that you are to stay with him at his hotel in Vertical Alley. We have already gotten you a connecting room in preparation of this. On Sept. 1st take him to the Hogwarts Express and stay there until the train safely leaves. Do you understand that or do I need to repeat myself?"

"Yeah, I got it, relax. I haven't taken a head wound in over six months." The runner goblin sneered at him before turning towards Harry.

"Mr. Potter, I hope that your business at Gringotts has been to your liking?"

"Yes, thank you very much." Harry gave him a little bow which the goblin returned. Griphook told everyone how polite and respectful the little human was even though he rarely received it in his life. The goblins could understand this since most wizards didn't treat them with respect. They might not have heard everything concerning Harry, but what they did hear made them respect him and hoped that any offspring that he had were like him.

Tombs and Harry watch the goblin walk off, growling at a wizard that almost tripped over him, before going behind the door separating the lobby from the rest of the bank. The both of them turned towards one another in an awkward silence before Harry broke it.

"Mr. Tombs, where should we start first for my supplies?"

"We'll start with your trunk first. That way we can place everything else in there. Sounds good little man?" Harry nodded at that and Tombs turned around, leading them out of the bank. "And, kid, it's just Tombs. I've never really liked being called mister."

"Why?"

"Reminds me of my father and from what I've heard he was like your uncle." Harry stopped in his tracks with a look of horror. He thought that was supposed to be kept quiet until after the trial at least. He almost missed Tombs squatting before him to be on equal footing with him. "Hey, Harry, don't worry. I'm the only person outside the goblins and healers who know about it. I'm supposed to look out for you, and that means making sure that you're alright mentally and physically. I'm under a vow to never speak to anyone without your permission or I'll lose my life. Got it, kid, I'm not telling anybody." It seemed that calmed down Harry enough since color started returning to his face. "Sorry, about that. I thought that the goblins told you that I knew about your history."

"It's alright, it just took me off guard. I knew that I would have to tell people, but I didn't expect anyone to know without meeting them beforehand, at least for now." Tombs nodded at that before rising to his feet.

"Now that's out of the way, how about we get that shopping done. I'm sure that it's going to take longer if we keep standing here." Tombs took out his wand and waved it around them. It was then that Harry noticed that the people were avoiding them, or at least not noticing them and giving them a three feet radius.

"It's a notice-me-not charm plus a privacy ward. You'll probably learn about that in your sixth or seventh year along with silent casting. Very handy if you ask me. Oh, just for convenience sake, let's just say you're my nephew and that you are just getting over a bad case of the flu." Harry nodded and then followed after Tombs. The first stop was a shop near the bank that sold many different trucks.

"Welcome to my shop. How may I help you?"

"My nephew here is in need for a trunk for school."

"A little late are we?"

"He's just getting over a bad case of the flu. Still have to fatten him up some more, but you know how these things are with little kids." The shop attendant nodded as he looked at Harry. He noticed how skinny and slightly pale Harry looked. Before the salesman could get a closer look his attention was brought back to Tombs. "So what would you recommend to a first year with some descent protections included?"

"Well, we have a three compartment trunk with charms to prevent any unauthorized entry, plus an identifying charm for those who try to open or damage the trunk, and a permanent feather light charm and a shrinking rune for easy transport. The price of everything will be 150 galleons, not including extra features including family crest and upgrade in wood or any accents."

"Do you have a book with all the finishes? And how much for the family crest?"

"The family crest is an extra 10 sickles, but the finishes range from an extra 10 to 100 galleons depending on what you get." Tombs nodded and the salesman went towards the counter to get the book.

"Is all that really necessary?" Tombs looked at the man before answering Harry in a low voice.

"Yeah, it is. Most heirs get trunks like this, but you're going to need all the help you can get. No matter which house you get sorted into at Hogwarts, you're going to be loved and hated. That means that people will have no problem in trying to steal your stuff either as a memento or as retribution. At least this will prevent that from happening as well as giving an indication on who was trying to steal from you so that you know who to blame." Harry was about to ask something else, but the salesman was already coming back.

"Here we go. These are the wood finishes as well as trim that can be added. There is also a section on interior designs if you're so inclined." Tombs nodded and nudged Harry over to a section of the store that had leather chairs and tables in the corner of the room. "I'll leave you two to decide. Please call me over if you have any questions."

"Thanks. We'll let you know if we need anything." Harry and Tombs sat in two of the chairs and opened the book. "I would suggest that we use a cherry wood or something that could be stained that way since red and silver are your family's colors. It's you dissension though, so pick whatever you like."

"Okay." Harry looked through the book, even though he was thinking about what Tombs said about his family colors. It was the first thing tangible about his family. He was defiantly going to research his family further. "I like the dark mahogany wood with this black and silver ascent. I think I'll go with the standard inner design."

"Nice kid. Now let's get this situated." They walked over to the salesman at the counter and told them what they wanted.

"Alright, I've got a dark mahogany with black and silver ascents on a three compartment trunk with our basic security features, a feather light charms and a shrinking rune. Is there anything you would like to add?"

"I would like to have my family crest included as well." The salesman wrote that down on the order form.

"Alright, that's everything. The trunk is going to cost you 226 galleons and 5 sickles. I'll have the trunk ready for you in half an hour. Now all I need is the payment as well as which family crests belongs to you." Harry took out his vault key and placed it in the indicated box.

"The crest that I'm using is the Potter's" The salesman froze in his review of the order form. By the time he came around, Tombs had already ushered Harry out of the store. The fact that Tombs was laughing wasn't lost on the teller when he checked the order form and saw that the account belonged to one Harry Potter.

"Let's get to Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions. That way we can get your school robes as well as a regular wardrobe. That should eat up the half an hour while getting what you need. The trousers and shirts can also pass in the muggle world until a later time we can go shopping there." Harry nodded, but before he could ask anything else he caught something out of the corner of his eye. There were two things that caught his eye. The first was that the person on the front page was moving. The second was the headline running across the front of the page.

 _ **Dumbledore steels from Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lives!**_

Tombs followed Harry's gaze and found what he was looking at. His whistle brought Harry's gaze back to him.

"It looks like you made the front page already kid. The goblins must have alerted the Daily Prophet last night in time to be printed in today's issue. Let me grab a copy and then we can go to Madam Malkin's." Tombs jogged across the street to get the newspaper before returning back to Harry. "Let's go, kid. We'll get a snack after this and we can review what the paper says."

"Can't we do that now?"

"Not if we want to get everything done today. Don't worry, we'll have time to look at this over lunch." Harry pouted but agreed. They walked into Madam Malkin's to see a middle aged woman coming out of the back.

"Oh, hello dears. Are getting school robes?"

"Yes, and a daily wardrobe as well."

"A little late getting a school wardrobe aren't we?"

"Yeah, but this little guy had a bad case of the flu. So not only did he lose some weight, but we had to burn his wardrobe to make sure that he wouldn't catch it again." Madam Malkin nodded while taking a look at Harry. His thin frame and pale complexion worked with the story given. Her gaze softened before getting a look of determination.

"Okay, dearie, you just need to hop onto the platform so I can measure you. Then we can get everything that you need along with socks, underwear, and the rest of your wardrobe. I'll include a growing charm that will grow four inches as well as let out two inches until you need to buy some more clothes. That way your clothes will grow with you while you're getting better."

"Okay, miss." Harry hopped onto the platform indicated while a tape measure came to life and started measuring everything.

"You can call me Madam Malkin. This store has been in the family for a couple of generations, although that can be said for just about all the stores along Diagon Alley." Madam Malkin talked a little more while taking down the measurements. Tombs was sitting near the front window watching them with amusement. Harry looked like he wanted to bolt at any moment but was scared of the matrim. Couldn't blame him in the slightest though. Madam Malkin could be a little much if one wasn't use to her, plus shopping usually wasn't enjoyed by the male population. Once that was done, the tape measure zipped to wherever it was resting before while Madam Malkin wrote down the last of the measurements.

"Alright, here are some trousers that should be around your size and some shirts. Try them on and we'll see what needs to be done. Then we'll place the charms on them to grow with you. Off you go now."

Harry took the clothes into the dressing room and tried on the clothes. While he was doing that, Tombs was picking out some packs of underwear, socks, and undershirts. Malkin nodded in approval while waiting for Harry to come back out. When he did, the pants seemed a little too long while it was a little lose in the waist. The shirt sleeves seemed to be long on him as well and the shoulder part seemed to hit him a little low on the arm.

"Okay, it seems to swallow you but it's an easy fix." With a wave of her wand the sleeves sat higher on his frame and shorten on his arms. The pant legs were pinned up as well.

"Alright, you can take them off and try on the other stuff. I'll fix this while you change."

Harry nodded and went back to the dressing room. A moment later the garments that he was wearing flew out over to a work area that came to life and started making the alterations desired. Harry came out a minute later in the next set of clothes. This went on for another two times before Harry came out in the original clothes he came in with. Madam Malkin walked over with swatches of fabrics to go over with Harry. Tombs saw this and walked over to help. From personal experience, he knew that this could be overwhelming and to someone who wasn't use to shopping before.

"Alright, your things are becoming fitted right now. Those will be your everyday ware for in and out of school. For everything else, we can go a little higher end. So take a look and see what you like." Harry and Tombs went over the fabric before turning back to Madam Malkin who was watching the work station to make sure everything went alright. Tombs caught her attention before listing what they wanted.

"We'll take two black trousers, one tan and another in navy blue. Have everything, except one of the black trousers, in cotton. We'll take the silk for the other black trouser. For shirts, we'll have one in red, one in blue, two in green and blue, with another two in black and one in silver. Here are the patterns that we want in with the blue and silver shirts. We also want two boots, one in dragon hide and the other in leather, as well as two black outer cloaks as well as another one in red with silver trimmings and his family crest over the breast pocket." Madam Malkin wrote as fast as her quill would let her. She could already tell that this was going to be a big order for her.

"Is there anything else that you would like to add to this order?"

"No, that should be everything for now. Could we have a catalog and owl order form just in case we need anything else?"

"Of course. Come to the counter. I'll get the catalog and order form while you pay for everything. Make sure to right down which family crest I'll be using for the cloak." Madam Malkin got what she needed for them before going behind the counter. "Here you go dears. The clothes will be done in about a hour."

"Sounds good with us. We'll return in a hour." Tombs gave her a wink while Harry gave her a shy smile which Madam Malkin returned with a full one. It wasn't until they left that she looked at the order form and saw a name that she didn't think possible, especially with what was recently put in the papers. Harry Potter had visited her store.

000000000000000000000

Tombs led Harry to a little café on a side alley while they waited for his trunk and wardrobe to be finished. After they placed their orders, they spread the newspaper between them to read.

 _ **Dumbledore steels from Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lives!**_

 _ **That's right loyal readers. The leader of the light, Albus Dumbledore, has stolen from The-Boy-Who-Lives, Harry Potter. Confirmed by the goblins themselves, Dumbledore has stolen money from our savior Harry Potter. This means dear readers that Dumbledore is going to be fined for this thievery as well as return what he has stolen from our beloved savior. But wait, that isn't the only thing that Albus Dumbledore has stolen from Harry Potter. Several family heirlooms and artwork has been returned from Dumbledore's clutches with a hefty 6,000 galleon fine for taking Potter heirlooms. Dear readers, if this weren't all that has happened to Harry, there is more injustice facing The-Boy-Who-Lives.**_

 _ **Harry Potter doesn't even know about the wizarding world as he should, especially since the same Albus Dumbledore is Harry's magical guardian. How could that be you ask readers? Well, it seems that Dumbledore dropped off Harry Potter with his muggle relatives and never looked back while enjoying his ill-gotten gains. I am sure like myself, you are in an uproar about such things, especially since Dumbledore has been saying that Harry has been with loving guardians and tutors, not to mention the amazing adventures that Dumbledore and others in his camp has told us. Let us just hope that at least the loving family part was true, otherwise Dumbledore's treachery knows no bounds.**_

 _ **Written by Rita Skeeter**_

 _ **History of the Noble and Ancient House of Potter's page 2**_

 _ **Fines against line theft page 3**_

 _ **History of Harry Potter page 4**_

 _ **History of He-Who-Must-Not Be Named page 4**_

 _ **History of Albus Percival Wulfic Brain Dumbledore page 6**_

 _ **Adventures of Harry Potter**_ _ **; Fact or Fiction page 9**_

Next to the article was a picture of what Harry assumed was Albus Dumbledore in a bright blue robes with stars dancing around the robes. The article may have been short, but it was vicious towards Dumbledore. It looked like Ragnorock was right when he described Rita Skeeter. Harry almost smiled with the thought of getting her permanently on his side, and he had the perfect plan to do that. Little did he know that his luck was going to swing further his way.

"Wow, Rita didn't pull any punches. I'm sure that people are going to be pissed at what Dumbledore has done."

"Do you think it will cause his to lose one of his positions?"

"No, but this is only the start remember. Once everyone knows of everything else he's done, he'll be lucky to walk down the street without being mobbed. Heck, with Rita's story, he should be getting hate mail right about now." Harry couldn't help to snicker at that while their food came to them. Just before they were to start eating, Tombs noticed a woman in a lime green outfit with tight blond curls. He caught Harry's attention before pointing her out. "That, Harry, is Rita Skeeter. As you can tell, she has no problem being vicious when it means higher sales and a bigger pay for her." Harry nodded in understanding.

"Hey, Tombs, I'm probably going to do something that seems stupid, but just play along, okay?" Tombs studied him for a moment before looking back at Rita. With a sigh he agreed. If nothing else, this would be an interesting experience. "Ms. Skeeter, Ms. Skeeter, over here." Rita Skeeter looked around before locating Harry and Tombs at their table. It seemed that she debated with herself about going to them, but luckily she started making her way towards them. It wasn't until she got closer that it looked like Rita could tell who they were, well at least Harry anyway. Once she was by their table, Harry spoke again.

"I just wanted to tell you how glad I am about this morning's article about Dumbledore. When I was told that people would actually care about what Dumbledore did to me, well I could hardly believe them. I guess I have even more surprises coming into the wizarding world." The look on Rita's face was priceless. It looked like Yule, a bonus, her birthday and a jackpot was all rolled into one for her.

"Where are my manners, why don't you join us for lunch? We were about to eat before we spotted you."

"And who is this with you?"

"Oh, this is Mr. Tombs. The goblins thought it best that I have someone with me before I head off to school. With me not knowing anything and my statues, they wanted to make sure that I was safe. I really appreciate it to."

"Really? Would you mind if we did an interview right quick, just so the readers know your side of the story." Harry nudged Tombs leg while passing over the contract that the goblins gave him. It seemed that Tombs' got it for he jumped in before anything else happened.

"I might have to suggest that not happen. Not without a contract between you two so that others wouldn't try to take advantage." Rita looked stunned at this, but before she could dissuade against that, Harry jumped in, thinking about one of the other stories listed.

"That is right. The goblins did say something about people righting stories about me without my permission. I wouldn't want you to get in trouble with them."

Tombs almost choked on air at that but managed to retain his composer. Those books written about Harry came off more fact than fiction, and it was perfect to use it in this situation. If he didn't make it into Slytherin after this, he didn't know what other house could handle that cunning. But he had to play a part before he could congratulate Harry.

"That's right. Now that I think about it, the goblins did give me a contract for you if you wanted to talk to the media. That way the reporter wouldn't be penalized with the other writers." Tombs made a show of looking for the contract before presenting it to Rita. She looked so excited, but Tombs decided to push her over the edge. He looked at the contract before sliding it over to Rita with a quill plucked from another pocket.

"It seems that you will have exclusive rights to write about Harry. Lucky you."

The shark like grin that flashed across her face before she schooled her features and she signed the contract without looking at it. Harry and Tombs smirked at each other before turning back to the matter at hand. Harry signed his name as well as Tombs as the witness. The contract glowed before copying itself. One went to Rita, one went to Harry, and the other one disappeared to be filed at Gringotts.

"Know that's all settled, you can start you interview."

"Do you mind if I use a quick quill, just to make things go faster?" Rita was already taking out the quill before Tombs stopped her.

"I believe that the contract is against the use of a quick quill Ms. Skeeter." Rita's eyes grew large before she really looked at the contract. Yes she was the only reporter that was able to sell any interview or story to any publication that she chooses, but it also restricted the use of her using a quick quill as well as embellishing to a certain extent. She could only write the truth and there was only so much she could do to beef up her story. And the fines and punishments for going against the contract almost made her squeak. It would destroy her financially.

"Ms. Skeeter, are you alright? You look a little green." Rita came out of her panic attack to look at Harry. She may not be able to use her usual writing style, but she was confident that she could still write a story that would sell. This was Harry Potter after all.

"Of course, Mr. Potter, everything is fine. Now since we're going to do this interview, why don't you call me Rita?"

"That's fine, as long as you call me Harry as well." Rita nodded while picking another quill from her purse and some parchment she always carried with her.

"Now, how are you responding to being in the wizarding world?"

"Well, I've only been here for a couple of days, but what I've seen so far it's amazing."

"Only a few days, Harry? Didn't you get your letter on your birthday three weeks ago?"

"Well, yes, but my family didn't let me see the letters that came." Harry ducked his head down for a second before looking back at Rita.

"You see, Rita, my aunt and uncle never liked magic. So when the first letter came, my Uncle Vernon snatched the letter from me and destroyed it before I could even open it. A couple days later two more letters came, but like before they were destroyed. This went on for about a week before it seemed like hundreds of letters came through the fireplace and mail slot. After that, Uncle Vernon packed us in the car and took his vacation days to try and outrun the letters. We went to hotel and inns and all these other places to get away from the letter. But it would only last a day or two before the letters would find us again. Well, fast forward three weeks, and he took us to an island in the middle of nowhere. I guess that someone was sick of sending all those letters, because next thing we know, this giant man came barging in. He said that his name Hagrid and he was there to deliver my letter to Hogwarts. You'll have to guess my surprise when I found out that I was a wizard and that all the 'freakish' things that I've been able to do was magic."

"My, my, Harry. It seems that you had quiet the adventure." At Harry's nod Rita continued. "Now, why did you say ''freakish' stuff' before?"

"Oh, that was what my aunt and uncle called my magical outburst. Like one time there was this really mean teacher that I had. One day her hair turned green and my aunt and uncle blamed me. Of course I didn't know that I did it let alone what was happening. But that didn't matter to them."

"What happened? Did they punish you for something that you couldn't control?"

"Yes, they did. When I got home and my cousin Dudley told them what happened, they seemed to turn white before getting really angry. My uncle grabbed by and threw me into my cupboard under the stairs." Rita looked horrified and even Tombs looked surprised that Harry revealed this much, but one look at Rita explained it all. She was hooked onto Harry's words.

"Your cupboard under the stairs?"

"Yes. It's were I stayed for as long as I remember. My Hogwarts' letter was even addressed to 'Harry Potter, The Cupboard Under the Stairs'. But now I don't have to worry about that. The goblins have made sure to give everything to the aurors to make sure that I never have to go back."

"Didn't you ever tell anyone while you lived with your relatives?"

"Of course, twice even. Once I told a substitute teacher. She believed me and went to the headmaster of the school I went to, but unfortunately he was a friend of my uncle's, so didn't believe her. He told Uncle Vernon, and he was so mad that I was locked in the cupboard for about a week. The other time I told a police officer, the muggle aurors, and he asked my uncle about it. Well, Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia said that I was lying. The police officer believed them without asking me anything else. After that, Uncle Vernon hit me and threw me back into the cupboard for another week. After that, I learned that anybody who knew my aunt and uncle would never believe that they were abusing me, or for a fact the Dudley was the bully."

"How was your cousin a bully Harry?"

"Well, he and his friends had this game called 'Harry Hunting'. They would chase me around the neighborhood. If I didn't outrun them, then they would beat me up. One time when I was running away from then, I suddenly appeared on my school's roof. I didn't know how I got there or how to get down. Eventually I had to be brought down, but that didn't endear me to my relatives if you can imagine."

"And what happened to your cousin? Was he punished for chasing you?"

"Of course not! To my aunt and uncle, he was a saint while they told everyone else that I was disturbed and a delinquent. Nobody would believe the Dudley would do anything to me." Rita seemed to have lost her voice at that. She shook herself out of her stupor.

"Well, thank you Harry for the interview. I'll let you and your companion enjoy the rest of your lunch and day." Harry smiled and wished her a good day. After Rita left, Tombs turned towards Harry with an amazed look.

"How in the world did you manage to pull that off? You looked vulnerable yet strong at the same time." Harry shrugged and took a bite of his food.

He was surprised that it was still warm, but the cheeseburger was so good that he probably wouldn't have cared if it was warm or not. Tombs just shook his head and started eating his lunch as well. After they finished with their lunch, they went to collect Harry's trunk and clothes. They quickly went to get the cauldron, telescope, beginner's potions kit and everything else. Flourish and Bolts took the longest since Harry decided that he liked shopping for books. He got what was listed from Hogwarts as well as books on wizarding culture and etiquette, family histories and crests, wizard travel, and anything else that Ragnorock or Tombs thought that he would need. The pile was bigger than Harry when they checked out and Harry was glad for the trunk that had its own library compartment. When Harry was putting his books within his trunk, Tombs went out to Eeylops Owls Emporium to get Harry a gift. He felt bad for Harry and thought that an owl would be a perfect belated gift for him. By the time Harry was done, Tombs was already waiting outside for him. Harry looked around before spotting him through the window.

"Where did you go?" Harry said the minute he walked outside.

He didn't notice the owl until he heard a hoot on the other side of Tombs. That was when Harry saw the most beautiful owl that he's ever seen. She was white with golden eyes that seemed to pierce him. Harry couldn't help kneeling before the cage to admire the owl closer.

"Hello, there beautiful. Who do you belong to?"

"That would be you, kid." Harry turned his confused eyes toward Tombs. "Think of her as a belated birthday gift. I had a feeling that you two would be good for each other. Not to mention that you'd need an owl to communicate with the goblins and everything." Harry looked from the owl cage to Tombs to the cage again. His eyes started to water before he blinked them away and turned towards Tombs again.

"Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me." Harry's voice was thick and Tombs was surprised that he suddenly had a lump in his throat with the way Harry was looking at him. Those green eyes would be the death of someone if fully turned on someone. Tombs cleared his throat before pushing of the wall.

"No problem, kid. Now, we have one more stop to make before going to the hotel, and this is the most important stop a young witch or wizard can make."

"What's that?" Harry said while grabbing his new owl and following Tombs. With the amount of stores they visited, it was no wonder that Harry lost track to where they were supposed to go next.

"Ollivanders or course. It's where everyone gets their wands from. Olliver is a little odd, so don't be to creeped out by him. He's really nice, just not that good with interacting with people." Harry was a little unsure what Tombs meant about that but still followed him into a shop that only had a single wand on a faded pillow in its window. When they entered, a bell chimed announcing their arrival. At first it seemed that the shop was empty except for the single chair in the corner and the lines of dusty boxes lining the wall. Harry almost jumped out of his skin when he heard a voice behind him that didn't belong to Tombs'.

"Mr. Potter, it is a pleasure to meet you. I was wondering when you would be showing up to get your wand, but then that article came out and it seemed to explain some things."

Harry can understand the creepy comment from earlier. Olliver was a man that seems to have taken Einstein's hair style and have a slightly haggard face. Olliver was looking straight at Harry, but it seemed that he didn't completely focus on him. Instead he seemed to be looking around Harry like he was seeing interesting, miniature dancers around him. And if that wasn't disturbing enough, Olliver's voice had reminded Harry of a spider for some reason. Normally that wouldn't have bothered him since there were spiders underneath his cupboard with him, but when combined with everything else, Harry had to stop himself from shivering.

"Olliver, can we move this forward? We'd like to get done before nightfall."

"Of course Mr. Tombs. And is your wand still working for you alright? Hornbeam with a dragon heartstring and 10 inches if I remember correctly. Perfect for offensive magic and curses. A very loyal wand but slightly temperamental." Olliver laid out some wands before Harry to try out.

"Why don't you try this Mr. Potter? Yew, 9 inches, with a unicorn's hair." Harry picked up the wand and promptly blew up the bowl on the counter.

"I don't think this one is right, sir." Harry placed it gently on the counter before anything else happen, while throwing Tombs a glare for the muffled laugh he heard. Olliver handed Harry another wand before taking it back just as fast with a 'no'. Wand after wand was tried, with them either giving Harry no reaction at all or if it did, destructive ones. Harry was sure that was the third time he broke the front window. After the twentieth wand tried, Olliver seemed to pause.

"Hmm, it seems that you're a difficult one, Mr. Potter. Don't worry though, no one has ever left this shop without a wand." With an appraising look, Ollivar turned around while mumbling under his breath. Harry turned to Tombs and his unnamed owl, who both seemed to shrug at him. Ollivar came back with a single box that seemed to have more dust than any other box in the store.

"Try this one, Mr. Potter." Harry took the wand handed to him. Unlike the other times, Harry felt warmth spread through him. When he waved his wand green and red sparks shot out.

"Yes, it seems that we found your wand Mr. Potter. It is most interesting though." Tombs got up from the chair to look at the wand.

"What's so interesting about it Mr. Ollier?"

"Holly wand, 12 inches with a core of a phoenix willingly given. Usually, a phoenix only gives one feather and that's it. But the phoenix that gave a feather for your wand also gave another. Just one other of course. But the feather went with the wand that caused the scar on your forehead, Mr. Potter."

"Voldemort?"

"Yes. Yew, 11 inches and with a feather from the same phoenix. I expect great things from you, Mr. Potter. For Voldemort did many great things, evil of course, but still great. That will be 15 galleons, Mr. Potter." Harry shakenly handed over the money before leaving the store. They both walked in silence before Harry broke the silence.

"Please tell me that I never have to go in there again?"

"Of course, as long as you don't break the wand you have at the moment. Let's stop at this shop here for a moment. We can pick up a wand servicing kit as well as a holster for you. Don't want to put it in your pant pockets now do we. No falling out of pockets or accidently blowing off you backside." Harry snorted at this while going into the store to get what they needed before going to the Sight Inn in Vertical Alley. They ate an early dinner before letting the later named Hedwig out to hunt her own food. Little did they know that the next morning would cause a potions master at Hogwarts to go postal.

 _ **Boy-Who-Lived Abused**_

 _ **I am sure that many of you remember the story I wrote yesterday about the theft committed against Harry Potter yesterday by Albus Dumbledore as well as his assurances that The-Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter was with loving relatives that taught and cared for our young savior. Well, it seems that is another strike against Albus Dumbledore against Harry Potter. How did I know this for sure you may ask me? Well, I happened across Harry Potter myself yesterday while he was enjoying lunch yesterday with his guard that the goblins provided him. It seems that at least they care about the wellbeing of Harry Potter. The same can't be the same for Albus Dumbledore. And once you read Harry's story, you will have to wonder if someone like Albus Dumbledore should be anywhere near our children, let alone be the Supreme Mugwump for the International Confederation of Wizards as well as Chief Warlock for the Wizengamont. What could be even worse that steeling from Harry Potter and the Noble and Ancient House of Potters? Well readers that would be leaving dear Harry Potter with magic hating muggles that tried to beat and starve the magic from him. That's right everyone. The young savior of the wizarding world, who freed us from Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, was left with muggles who tried to get rid of the 'freakiness' in him by beating and starving an heir to a noble and ancient house and savior against the biggest and evil, dark wizard since Gellart. Here is part of the interview that I had with Harry Potter when I ran into him. I will warn you now reader, that some of what you read here today will break your heart and cause you to get angry at the man who would sentence a child to such torture in the first place.**_

 _ **Rita: "Now, how are you responding to being in the wizarding world?"**_

 _ **Harry: "Well, I've only been here for a couple of days, but what I've seen so far it's amazing."**_

 _ **Rita: "Only a few days, Harry? Didn't you get your letter on your birthday three weeks ago?"**_

 _ **Harry: "Well, yes, but my family didn't let me see the letters that came."**_

 _ **At this I was confused. Who wouldn't want to have their child receive their Hogwarts' letter, especially one as special as Harry Potter? This is when things start to get troubling dear readers.**_

 _ **Harry: "You see, Rita, my aunt and uncle never liked magic. So when the first letter came, my Uncle Vernon snatched the letter from me and destroyed it before I could even open it. A couple days later two more letters came, but like before they were destroyed. This went on for about a week before it seemed like hundreds of letters came through the fireplace and mail slot. After that, Uncle Vernon packed us in the car and took his vacation days to try and outrun the letters. We went to hotel and inns and all these other places to get away from the letters. But it would only last a day or two before the letters would find us again. Well, fast forward three weeks, and he took us to an island in the middle of nowhere. I guess that someone was sick of sending all those letters, because next thing we know, this giant man came barging in. He said that his name Hagrid and he was there to deliver my letter to Hogwarts. You'll have to guess my surprise when I found out that I was a wizard and that all the 'freakish' things that I've been able to do was magic."**_

 _ **Going through so much trouble to hide one's birthright is almost impossible for me to imagine, as well as the lengths these muggle relatives would go through that the Hogwarts' game keeper had to be sent to retrieve a young Harry Potter from his relatives. From the way Harry glossed over some things, it was clear that something was amiss. This, dear readers, is one of those times where I wish I was wrong and had to retract some of the interview because of how terrible it was. Even what I reveal to you now will make you weep.**_

 _ **Rita: "Now, why did you say ''freakish' stuff' before?"**_

 _ **Harry: "Oh, that was what my aunt and uncle called my magical outburst. Like one time there was this really mean teacher that I had. One day her hair turned green and my aunt and uncle blamed me. Of course I didn't know that I did it let alone what was happening. But that didn't matter to them."**_

 _ **Rita: "What happened? Did they punish you for something that you couldn't control?"**_

 _ **Harry: "Yes, they did. When I got home and my cousin Dudley told them what happened, they seemed to turn white before getting really angry. My uncle grabbed by and threw me into my cupboard under the stairs."**_

 _ **That's right readers. Ever since Albus Dumbledore left Harry Potter with his muggle relatives, he's been living under in a cupboard under the stairs. Many house elves get more room than that. But a little, innocent child has been living in a cupboard under the stair ever since he's been sent to live with his muggle relatives is horrible. And for those of you, who doubt that the headmaster didn't know about this, let me remind you that Albus Dumbledore is supposed to be Harry Potter's magical guardian. Someone who is supposed to visit and talk to their charge and teach everything that is needed to learn about the wizarding world as well as family history and magicks. But none of this happened for Harry. He slipped through the cracks while we were celebrating the downfall of You-Know-Who.**_

 _ **While we recovered and rebuilt our lives, a young orphan who helped us while losing his only family, was shipped to a magical hating muggles that hit, starved and Merlin knows what else to beat the 'freakishness' out of him. And the man who is responsible for this is in charge of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The same school where we sent out kids to for a safe, informative education?**_

 _ **Luckily, Harry has found help, but not through other wizards, or even muggles in his neighborhood. No, the help has been given by the goblins who have contacted the aurors to investigate these horrific facts that I've found out. Until then, dear readers, we need to keep a vigilant eye out concerning Albus Dumbledore and how he treats Harry Potter and the rest of our helpless children. And I'll try my hardest to deliver the news of how else the goblins are protecting our savior and the aurors investigation into the criminal proceedings of Albus Dumbledore.**_

 _ **Written by Rita Skeeter**_

 _ **Known charges & punishments facing Albus Dumbledore page 2**_

 _ **History of the Goblin Nation page 3**_

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Severus Snape was not a man that lost his temper easily. That was to be expected with someone who was a double spy that also taught eleven to seventeen year olds the subtle arts of potion making. But as he read the newspaper in his quarters, years of self-control and occlumency did not help him with his anger over Rita Skeeter's article over a boy that he's promised to protect. A promise forced from Albus Dumbledore himself from when Severus turned traitor against the Dark Lord. Severus marched to the headmaster's office.

Since it was the summer, everyone took breakfast in their rooms and shared the other two meals together in the great hall. Something that Severus was happy for. He had no doubt that the others would be shocked at him losing his cool as well as the secrets he was going to reveal. Reaching the gargoyle, Severus muttered the password, Lemon Drops, and rode the stairs to the top. Not wasting any time knocking, Severus barged into the room to find something that would normal cause surprise and amusement to him. Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, Supreme Mugwump, and Chief Warlock seemed to be fighting off Howlers left, right and center. Severus stood there a moment before taking out his wand and pausing the assault the Headmaster was facing.

"Ah, Severus, thank you. It seemed that I couldn't stop them fast enough."

"And are you surprised Albus, especially with what you've done." Severus slammed the newspaper on Dumbledore's desk, showing the first sign of his anger.

"You told me that he was protected Albus. That he was being spoiled by his caretakers and the he would be receiving tutors. Now I have to read from Rita Skeeter that he was being starved and beaten by Petunia and her whale of a husband! I knew that horse faced bent and could have told you beforehand that she would be terrible to take care of any magical child! But no, the great Albus Dumbledore doesn't make mistakes. No matter if they keep hitting him in his face."

"Now, Severus…"

"Don't you now Severus me! You promised me that he was safe! And then you made me vow to protect him. On my magic! You are lucky I'm not a squab at the moment. I don't know what you plans are, but they stop. No more will I be your little puppet or stand by while you destroy another life. No more will you have me stamp out these students interests in potions just so I can claim to be doing the Dark Lord's bidding whenever he may rise. Or so they fit in whatever plan you have."

"Severus, you can't do that! Who else will spy on him?"

"Who cares you old man! He hasn't risen in over a decade. We don't even know if he will even rise again. And if you do, then you are too stubborn and conspiratorial to let anyone else know. Well guess what, I am going to start making my own plans if and when the Dark Lord rises. You just better hope that you don't end up imprisoned or killed. Because if that happens, whatever you know that could put down that madman for good will be lost because you are too power-hungry to trust others." With that Severus stormed out of the room, but not before canceling the spell that held the Howlers at bay and slamming the door.

Dumbledore almost didn't notice the Howlers because he was in shock. Never before did he think that Severus would react like that. He looked down at the newspaper that was left on his desk to see the headline as well as the picture of Harry Potter. It was plain to see that he was skinner than he should be, shorter as well. Looking at the picture and thinking about Severus' reaction caused Dumbledore to finally rethink his plans. Before he could think any more on the subject, more Howlers came in, adding to the volume to the room. The headache was getting worse and he had a feeling that Severus wasn't the only teacher that was going visit today, although he doubted any would hit so close to home.

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Ragnorock looked over the newspaper with a grin on his face. He couldn't believe that his plans were working so well so fast. Dumbledore's name was being dragged through the mud and the goblin nation received a boost, all in one article. Sitting back in his seat, he thought further and what to do next since Harry's accounts were coming along, although slowly, and he already sent out inquiries about Sirius Black. There was also the thought about informing Rita Skeeter about what else was going on, but dealing with that woman was a pain so that was a far maybe. So many chooses, so little time. With a sigh, Ragnorock got back to work. He'll figure something out after the will reading.


	4. Thoughts and Actions

Lucius Malfoy was sitting in his seat at the Board of Governors meeting in Hogshead, the town not far from the school that they were about to discuss. Everyone here read the stories in the Profit and was looking for blood. He knew of several of the board members who sent Howlers to the 'esteemed' headmaster over the mistreatment of one Harry Potter. Lucius may not like the boy who took his master from him, but even he was appalled by what the headmaster did. He had to repress a shiver at the thought of any child being raised by muggles who hated magic. Lucius mentally shook himself out of his thoughts to the meeting that was about to take place. Seeing that everyone was here, he rose from his seat while calling for order.

"I call to order this emergency meeting of the Board of Hogwarts's Governors. Lady Longbottom, since it is you who called for this meeting the floor is yours." Lucius sat down while Augusta Longbottom stood up.

"Thank you, Lord Malfoy. I will get to the point. I am sure that we have all read Rita Skeeter's articles over the past few days. I have been able to verify that there is a criminal investigation going on against Dumbledore. It seems the Ms. Skeeter was kind, to say the least, considering from what I've been able to find out." There were whispers around the room while many blanched at the thought. Everyone knew that Rita Skeeter was someone who liked to reveal every speck of dirt she found. To hear that she didn't made many think that Dumbledore was doing something much worse. The banging of the gravel silenced the room and brought everyone's attention back to Lucius.

"I know that you are all appalled about the indication that Dumbledore is doing something so evil that not even the vial woman that is Rita Skeeter would hesitate to even publish it is not the reason why Lady Longbottom has called for this meeting. Let her continue before we go to the discussion part of this meeting."

"Thank you, Lord Malfoy. I know that what has been printed by Rita Skeeter is shocking, but it also reveals that we have been lacking in our responsibilities to the students of Hogwarts. Dumbledore has run the school without our input or approval. Hogwarts was once considered one of the top schools in the world. Now, out of 27 independent schools around the world, we are ranked 24th. You don't want to know our ranking once you include government schools." There were some grumblings, but before it could be carried away, Augusta started speaking again.

"I believe that it is time to correct this grave injustice. On that note, I put forth this solution. As stated in the schools bylaw, we as the governors can implement a school wide review of classes, teachers, punishments and safety. We can see how the classes are carried out and if there needs to be any changes either in the lesson plans or the teachers themselves. We can also see how the teachers issues punishments for any wrong doing and see if it actually matches the rule breaking. Safety is also review. Mostly to see if the teachers or perfects misuse their power, how the school handles bullying, as well as how the staff handles any type of dangerous situation that might arise externally or internally. If we all vote this thru, then we can discuss who will go as our representative." Augusta sat down and looked around the other governors.

What she was suggesting was big, especially since something like this hasn't happened since Dumbledore took office as headmaster. Hopefully someone will second the motion in the next two minutes or her motion would die on the floor, something that she doesn't want. Surprisingly, it was seconded, but by someone who was usually on the other side of arguments, Lucius Malfoy.

"I second Lady Longbottom's motion. We must make sure that Dumbledore's mechanics only reached toward Heir Potter and not to every child under his care. For if Dumbledore could do this to Harry Potter, imagine what he is willing to do to all of our children." That seemed to cement everyone's decision. They might have different ideals, but they all agreed that their children were important. And if Dumbledore could do this to the wizard world's savior, what could he do to their children.

Augusta nodded toward Lucius. They may have different ideas about how purebloods behaved in relation to the Old Ways, but that doesn't mean that they couldn't agree on somethings. With a unanimous vote towards the school wide review, Augusta took out a sheet of paper to alert the headmaster that he will be hosting a visitor or two for the school year.

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 **Hogwarts Under Review**

 _ **That's right everyone. After the unsettling news, brought forth by myself, Hogwarts governors have decided that it's time to review Dumbledore and his running of Britain's top school. When asked about this, the governors had this to say:**_

 _ **Lady Augusta Longbottom: "We have been lax in our responsibility to the school, its teachers, and**_ _ **most importantly its students. This will now change to insure the safety of our children."**_

 _ **Lord Lucius Malfoy: "When the emergency meeting was called forth by Lady Longbottom, it was to bring us all together to bring back the honor that Hogwarts once was. Not only that, there is the possibility that Dumbledore has been left unchecked, and our children have suffered."**_

 _ **What did Lord Malfoy mean by that? Well, it seems that Hogwarts is no longer the top, premier school Albus Dumbledore will wish for you to believe. Since his appointment as headmaster the Defense Against the Dark Arts (DADA) has had a revolving door of teachers. there is also the ghost that teaches History of Magic who is almost guaranteed to put the most insomniac person to sleep. Not only that, but out of 27 independent schools like Hogwarts, our beloved school is ranked 24. This means that in over the 50 years that Dumbledore had been headmaster, our school has fallen 23 rankings.**_

 _ **With this disturbing news, as well as the trouble Dumbledore is experiencing, the governors are appointing a High Inquisitor to review the classes and teachers to see what or who needs to be changed to insure that Hogwarts returns to its former glory. We hope that whoever is appointed to the role is able to win this uphill battle.**_

 _ **Written by Rita Skeeter**_

 _ **Hogwarts' Charter**_ _ **page 2**_

 _ **Independent Schools of the Wizarding World**_ _ **page 4**_

 _ **History of Hogwarts**_ _ **page 5**_

 _ **Ranking of Hogwarts' Headmasters**_ _ **page 7**_

Harry put down the newspaper after reading Rita's latest work. His first thought was surprise, but it was closely followed by relief. With someone watching Dumbledore, for however long he was at the school, Harry wouldn't have to completely worry about Dumbledore's revenge for the trouble he's in. That didn't mean that he was going to completely relax around the headmaster, but at least there was a buffer between the two. Harry was brought out of his thoughts by Tombs shuffling into the room. Harry looked at the clock over the stove and saw that it was 7:30. He was a little surprised since Tombs made it clear that he wasn't a morning person. For the two days that they've been at the Sight Inn, Tombs awoke near 9am and in need of coffee to be civil.

"Morning, kid. Anything interesting in the paper today?" Tombs grumbled as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"It seems that Hogwarts is getting a High Inquisitor this year. I guess the bad press Dumbledore is getting is causing them to act." Tombs hummed while taking a gulp from his cup. "Not to be nosy, but why are you up so early? I remember you being a little testy when you're up before eight."

"Usually, kid, but I do have days that I actually get up at a respectable time. How about you? I thought that you would be sleeping in?" Harry shrugged his shoulders while finishing off the last of his pancakes.

"I'm usually up around six, so waking up at seven is sleeping in for me." Tombs nodded at this before taking another gulp of coffee. He didn't care if it was hot, it was the juice of the gods to him.

"What do you want to do today?"

"I'm thinking about looking around the alleys and see what types of shops there are. I really haven't been able to see them that much. I also wanted to read some more of my books."

"I thought you read all of your school books? By the way you've been devouring them I would think that you read them all twice if I didn't know better." Harry snorted at this. Even though he and Tombs have only known each other for a couple of days, Harry felt relaxed around him. It was strange to be able to snort at an adult, but refreshing just the same.

"I've read the first two chepters of my history, transfiguration, and charms book already. I want to get started on my defense, potions, and magical creators books over the next couple of days. I also want to start on some of my other books as well, especially my etiquette, law and healer books."

"Lofty goals, kid. I might be able to help you with some of the etiquette and healer subjects since most curse breakers are taught that."

"You are?"

"Don't sound so surprised. We do have to deal with some high end clients during our work. It wouldn't be good if we scare away clients if we eat like wild hogs or insult them. Plus, with the dangerous work, we need to know at least the basic healer techniques. It can mean the difference between life and death if we can help stabilize someone before we can get them to a Healer." Harry nodded his head at this.

It made sense since Tombs explained that some work sites were miles underground and sometimes the protections around the sight prevents easy access in or out of the area. Either way, it would be good to have a little extra help on some of the subjects he was studying. Harry knew that he won't be able to learn everything before going off to Hogwarts, but it was a start. Hopefully, he would be able to find someone there to help him with his extra studying.

"We should also go to the apothecary to get you some more of your medicine while we're out. You only have enough until September 1, when you go to Hogwarts. It will be a good idea to have some more since we don't know what they have in stock. An extra week will be good to have, especially if you decide to use an outside source to get them." Harry nodded his head in agreement.

"I was wondering about something. How would I be able to get a subscription to a muggle newspaper? I don't really want to be completely cut off."

"Understandable. Write a letter to the goblins with the newspapers that you want to subscribe to and they will take care of everything for you. You'll get it through the mailbox that they give you. If you want, you can also complete your muggle education."

"I can!" Harry couldn't help the surprised look that crossed his face. Because of his uncle, Harry always had to do worse than Dudley in school. Considering that Dudley usually got D's, that was really hard for Harry who would spend time in the library learning while hiding from Dudley and his gang.

"Yeah, I believe there is a company out there that provides muggle course work for muggleborn and half-borns who want to get an education in both worlds. The goblins should know more about it if you want to see if your interested."

"Yeah, but how does it work?"

"From my understanding, the company gives you workbooks that you go over. Every month there are worksheets and essays that you have to owl back to them. The work gets graded and returned. I'm not sure about how the test are given, but I'm sure that's all explained when signing up."

"Okay, I'll write to the goblins while you finish your breakfast."

"Yeah, we can then look around the alleys." Harry got up from the table and ran to his temporary room to start writing to Ragnorock about the newspapers he wanted as well as his muggle education. Finally he wouldn't have to dumb himself down because of Dudley. Tombs almost laughed at him while pouring himself another cup of coffee.

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Petunia Dudley was not a happy camper. It seemed to be going so well at first. The nephew that she never wanted was taken away, although he left them on the island without transportation and they had to get Dudley's tail removed, everything else was going fine. They no longer had to have them in their house. No longer was he a reminder of the things that Lily could do but she couldn't. No longer were those green eyes mocking her that her parents didn't see her as well off as Lily. Not as pretty or smart or as 'gifted' as Lily was.

But guess where that got her? Six feet under and a son that became a burden to good, 'normal' people who had no use for freakishness that got people killed. She tried her best, but she couldn't help to see Lily in Harry, or ignore the things he was able to do even at a young age. So she and Vernon tried their best to make sure that the little freak knew his place as well as trying to insure that he grew up normal. That wasn't abuse in her mind that was making sure that he was becoming a valued member of the community. But nobody seemed to understand that.

Now she and Vernon were in jail while Dudley was with Marge. They had handcuffed her while she was on her way to the book club. All of their neighbors saw her get taken away like a common criminal. Vernon was worse since they arrested him at his job. How do they expect him to get his job back when they do something like that? And her Dudley? Petunia was sure that he was worried sick about them and unable to eat without his parents with him.

This mess was all because of Harry. She may not be able to tell the court about the boy's freakishness, but she was sure that all the other trouble that Harry got into would show the court that they had to be a little heavy handed to make the boy behave.

Little did Petunia Dudley know that the court she was about to enter was a special division that combined muggle and wizarding court. This way when muggles caused harm to wizards, however rare it seemed to pureblood wizards, the muggle courts could handle the accused without the wizarding populace doing some muggle hunting. Both Petunia and Vernon will be in a surprise when they meet their court appointed lawyers.

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Albus Dumbledore was not having a good day let alone a good week. The articles of Skeeter, the fines that he had to pay as well as the loss of many heirlooms, and then his teachers turning against him. Now he's looking at the mail from the board as well as the accompanying newspaper article, it made him almost want to go on vacation.

But he wasn't going to run. Albus Dumbledore wasn't going to give the dark side the chance to rule or get a footing. He was going to call in all of his favors and then focus on Harry Potter. His initial plan may have backfired, but that doesn't mean that he couldn't rework the situation and bring Harry to him. Albus Dumbledore was the leader to the light, and Harry Potter was going to be his biggest contribution to the light side.

If Dumbledore wasn't so distracted, he might have noticed that Fawkes hasn't been seen for almost a week. It seems that the leader of the light wasn't following the light path anymore.

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Amelia Bones was sitting in her office wondering how one man could cause so much paperwork. Not only did Dumbledore contribute to the abuse of Harry Potter, but he also stole from him as well. That led her to think that he was stealing from another orphan or family.

Once she alerted the goblins to her train of thought, they immediately did an audit and found out that he was stealing from Sirius Black. Which lead back to the request to look into that man's trail, which never happened. It seems that Dumbledore and Crouch threw Sirius into Azkaban without a thought and Dumbledore seemed to have help himself. Since he didn't have authorization, the goblins reclaimed the money and fined Dumbledore even more.

Amelia let out a sigh at all the man did. At times she may not have liked the man, but she never thought that he would throw a potentially innocent man into prison. The minute she found out, she got Sirius out of Azkaban and into a Ministry holding cell for his trail happening the next day. Fudge tried to stop this, but Amelia kindly reminded him that he may be Minister of Magic, but not even he could stop this and that she could have him arrested if she thought that he was involved as well.

At the moment both Dumbledore and Crouch were going to trial about their conduct. Their punishment would be depending on the fact if Sirius was innocent or not. If Sirius was guilty, then they would only get a fine and probation, although Dumbledore would receive more since he was stealing from Sirius. But if Sirius was innocent, the both of them would have the possibility of a third of Sirius' jail time as well as repayment of 10,000 galleons for every year that he was imprisoned.

Looking over Sirius' file, she felt guilt for not looking into it more, but at the time she was just getting over losing most of her family and suddenly becoming a parent to a little girl. The only relief she had was that she was doing something now, for him as well as his godson.


	5. Trials Part 1

"Emergency Wizamont Session is now in order. Bring in the accused Sirius Black." Minister Cornelius Fudge brought the court to order and watched the aurors bring in Sirius Black.

He looked rugged, dirty, but surprisingly sane considering he was in the heavy secured section of Azkaban. Fudge just hoped that this was a formality of his guilt; otherwise he didn't want to think about the outcry of the public. He may not have been the Minister of Magic at the time of Sirius Black being sent to Azkaban, but he was the Minister now, and people would still blame him. Fudge was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of chains securing Sirius to the chair. With a fortifying breath, Fudge got the trail going.

"We are here to try Sirius Orion Black on the charges as follows:

One count murder of one Peter Pettigrew

Thirteen counts of murder against muggles

One count of betrayal of Secret Keeper to the Noble and Ancient House of Potter

Are there any questions of charges before defendant enters his plea?"

The globe in front of Lucius Malfoy lit up in front of him. He may not have thought that Sirius was guilty, but if he was innocent, than the possibility of Draco being the next Lord Black was very low. Little did he know that the title of Lord Black already had a claimed heir. Lucius rose from his seat once he was recognized by the minister.

"Wasn't his guilt already confirmed at his last trial?" Many murmurs of agreement could be heard around the court room. Many were wondering why they were called here to rehear a case already closed in their minds. That was dashed when Madam Amelia Bones spoke.

"No it was not, Lord Malfoy. It seemed that Dumbledore and Crouch threw Sirius Black into Azkaban without a trial."

Madam Bones had to stop at the outcry not only from the Lords and Ladies of the Wizamont, but also from the audience section in the gallery. She could see reporters scribbling in their notepads and photographers flashing their cameras to catch the reaction of the crowd. Amelia already knew that every newspaper and magazine was going to be plastered with this story over the next couple of days. With a loud bang from her wand, she regained control of the courtroom.

"Because of this, Albus Dumbledore's titles as Chief Warlock and Supreme Mugwump has been stripped from him. Both Dumbledore and Crouch will be facing charges after the outcome of this trial. Is there any more questions before we start this trail?" Everyone sat in stunned silence. Not only would Albus Dumbledore be stripped of his titles, but also going to trail. Before everyone could completely recover, Amelia turned everyone's attention back to the trail at hand.

"Since no one has spoken, we will convene with the trail. Sirius Orion Black, Lord of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, how do you plead?"

"Not guilty on all charges." Sirius' voice was rusty, but still strong and it carried across the entire chamber. Noise broke out, people disbelieving about what they were about to witness. Another bang from Amelia's wand silenced the room again.

"Any other disturbance and I will have the court emptied. Is that understood?" Silence greeted her and Amelia nodded her head before turning back to the accused before her. "Are you willing to have Veritaserum during the trail?"

"Yes." That one word caused gasps to go around the courtroom.

Many knew that Veritaserum was the strongest truth serum out there. The only way to go around the potion would to have already ingested the antidote to the potion or have such strong Occlumency shields. With Sirius being in Azkaban for so long, any Occlumency shields would be gone by now and there wouldn't be any way he could of gotten the antidote this quickly since it usually took two days to make.

An auror came forward with a vail of clear, water-like liquid in it. Sirius opened his mouth willingly and three drops of the potion went into his system. The auror took a step back, waiting with the antidote when needed. Amelia started with some control questions.

"What is your name?"

"Sirius Orion Black."

"Where did you go to school?"

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"What house where you sorted into?"

"Gryffindor." Amelia nodded at this and motioned for the minister to start the trial questions.

"Sirius Black, were you the secret keeper for the Potter family?"

"No I was not."

"Who was the Secret Keeper?"

"Peter Pettigrew." Fudge started sweeting at this. It was his idea to give the man the Honor of Merlin after his death. He hoped that he'll be able to spin this after the trail.

"Is that why you killed Peter Pettigrew and the thirteen muggles?

"No. I was hunting Peter to bring him to justice. When I finally cornered that rat he blew up the street that killed those muggles. He then transformed into his anigamus form of a rat and escaped into the sewers." Everyone sat in silence for a moment.

Fudge almost fell into his seat before he remembered the other questions Amelia wanted him to ask. This was one of those times that he was glad he didn't listen to his Undersecretary Umbridge when she suggested not going along with them. With a glance at the parchment he had, he continued with the questioning.

"There was testimony that you admitted to killing Lily and James Potter, why?"

"Because it was my idea to pick Peter as the Secret Keeper. I knew everyone would assume that I would be the Secret Keeper, and we used that. That way Peter would be safe while the Death Eaters would be looking for me. Little did we know that Peter was the traitor that we feared about. If I hadn't come up with the plan, then my friends would still be alive." Sirius monotone voice cared across the court.

If he was fully aware, he would have seen people on the edge of their seats, some of them with tears in their eyes. Fudge looked over at Amelia, the only person in the room that seemed to have held onto her composer. She caught his eyes and seemed to understand the silent plea that he was sending her. He was not prepared for this type of thing. Amelia rose from her seat while Fudge took his.

"Are there any more questions that the members of the Wizengamont wish to ask?" Amelia was greeted with silence.

"Administer the antidote." Sirius' eyes cleared up from the glossed over look. He shook his head while the last of the potion left his system.

"Sirius Black, you are officially cleared of any and all charges faced with. For wrongful imprisonment Albus Dumbledore and Bartemius Crouch Sr. are sentenced to paying you 10,000 galleons for every year in Azkaban as well as a sentenced to a third of you imprisonment. In total, that is 100,000 galleons and 41 months in Azkaban to be served immediately." With the bang of her gavel, the court was adjourned. Everyone rose and started talked about what just happened.

Amelia and Fudge made their way to Sirius who was still sitting in the chair even though the chains had released him. When they got near him, Amelia got his attention.

"I'm sorry that it took you this long to get a trial, although it seems that you're remarkable sane considering over ten years of imprisonment." Sirius understood the question that she was asking and gave her a little smirk, although it came off a little harsher than he meant it with the state he was in.

"Pettigrew wasn't the only one in the group to become an animagus. Myself, James and Peter became one during our Hogwarts years. We never registered because the war was really heating up at the time and we thought it was a good idea to keep that a secret. Another brilliant plan that backfired." Sirius tried to joke before it died on his lips. There was an uncomfortable silence before Fudge broke it.

"Like Amelia said before, the Ministry is sorry for this miscarriage of justice. We will transport you to St. Mungo's and pay for any medical treatment that you'll need. We'll also make sure that your animagus form is registered without any fees." Sirius nodded his head and Amelia gave Fudge an approving look.

"It seems that one of your old friends would like to talk to you before you go. We'll leave you two alone while we make the arrangements." Sirius turned around and saw someone with light brown hair with hints of gray and in old clothing. It took Sirius a moment to realize who it was.

"Remus?"

"Hey, Padfoot. It's been a long time." Sirius gave a laugh, a mixture of a loud bark and a sob.

"Yeah, a little over ten years from the date of the newspaper they gave me today."

Sirius got up from the chair on shaky legs. The only reason that he was somewhat sane at the moment was because he spent most of his time in his animagus form, meaning that his human legs rarely got used during his decade of imprisonment.

"I'm so sorry that I believed that you were the traitor. I should have trusted you and my instincts instead of Wormtail's whispers." Remus grabbed onto Sirius when it looked like he was about to fall. Sirius grabbed onto his shoulders, which helped to stabilize him.

"It's alright. I should be apologizing to you as well. I thought that you betrayed us, Padfoot, and I never made sure that it was true. I think that the both of us made a lot of mistake during that time. There is so much that I have to tell you, especially about Harry." Sirius' face brightened at the mention of his godson. He remembered the happy, smiling baby that would laugh at everything happening around him and sleep on him when he was transformed into his grim form.

"Harry. How is he? He must be so big at the moment. Who does he take after most? Please tell me that he doesn't have James' hair. I remember both him and his father complaining about the Potter hair."

Sirius almost laughed at the number of rants he had to listen to from both men. It seemed that every man in the Potter line had untamable hair that never went down. The only thing that seemed to help is Sleakeazy Hair Potion that James' father made, and sold before James was born. The only reason that both men didn't use it regularly is that both men rarely stuck with the regiment to take care of their hair. Euphemia Potter would fuss at the both of them, but usually gave up unless they were going to a ball or another special function.

So caught up in his memories, Sirius didn't realize the look on Remus' face. After a while, Sirius finally noticed when Remus didn't start gushing about Harry. With a sigh, Remus guided Sirius over to the witness bench and sat both of them down.

"I've never seen him since the whole ordeal. I was still talking to the people Dumbledore wanted me to. So by the time that I got back, Dumbledore had already placed him with a family. He told me that I wasn't going to be able to visit Harry at all. He wanted Harry to grow up away from the wizarding world without the knowledge of his fame, not to mention that the family wasn't that keen on magic in the first place." Sirius face became confused.

"That doesn't sound right. I remember talking to James about his will. If I was unable to take Harry, he should have gone to the Longbottoms at least. If not them, there were a couple of other families that they were to go to."

"That's the problem. Dumbledore sealed their wills and placed Harry with Lily's sister."

"Petunia! That horse face bent that hated Lily and everything magic. Please tell me that Harry's alright. I remember meeting her sister and Petunia was a vile woman that was borderline abusive towards Lily."

"It seems that Petunia only got worse. It's been in the papers for the last couple of days. What I do know is that Petunia and her husband Vernon are in muggle prison awaiting trial on various charges of child abuse. Dumbledore is also going to be going to trial concerning Harry. I have a feeling that Madam Bones is going to ask about any other crime that he might have committed considering how much he's done already." Sirius sighed at this before asking the question he was starting to dread.

"How bad is he?"

"From what information that's been circulating, Harry's been starved, beaten and forced to stay in a confined space ever since he arrived there. The only reason that we know about this is because of the goblins. Not totally sure how Harry managed to get on their good side on his first day in the wizarding world, but they've been helping him. At the moment Harry is being watched by one of their guards until he goes off to Hogwarts."

"Have you visited him yet?"

"No. I don't know what to say about staying away so long. Especially considering that I was supposed to be James and Lily's friend."

"I'm sorry would be a nice start." Both men's heads snapped to the young voice that spoke. In front of them an exact replica of James was in front of them, but with a difference of Lily's eyes staring at them. Both men gaped at him until the man behind Harry spoke.

"I think you broke them kid, although considering one of them just got out of Azkaban, it's not that surprising."

"Give them a minute. They might just snap out of it, Tombs."

That seemed to have snapped the men out of it. Sirius was the first one to speak of the two stunned men.

"Harry, is that you?" Harry nodded his head, although he didn't get any closer to the men. He may not have any ill will against them, or at least not much, he didn't know how they would react to either of them. Their looks of awe and longing towards him didn't change his thought process.

"You look just like your father."

"But with Lily's eyes. She was the only person I knew that had such intense green eyes." Sirius nodded at that.

Many times the Marauders teased her about how emeralds wished they were the same color of her eyes. During one of Sirius' morbid times, he even compared them to the AK curse. James never liked the comparison, even if everyone else silently agreed with him. Harry's voice brought him out of his memories.

"I know one of you, but not the other." That prompted Remus to speak up again.

"My name is Remus Lupin. I was a friend of your parents and Sirius when we were in school and beyond." Remus seemed to have remembered what Harry said earlier in greeting. "I am sorry about never seeing you. I wasn't in the country when I found out what happened. By the time I got back, Sirius was already in prison and you were taken to your aunt's house. When I was making inquiries, I was told that you were already with a loving family and that any contact with you could have put you in danger. I know that isn't an excuse, but I was depressed by the thought that one of my best friends could of caused the deaths of James and Lily, that I wasn't thinking very clearly. If I was, I would have at least looked into Sirius' conviction as well as if you were truly safe. My depression doesn't excuse the fact that you, your parents and Sirius were like my family, and I abandoned all of you."

"It wasn't completely your fault. We knew that there was a traitor in our mist, but not who. I'm sorry to say that we thought that Remus was the traitor, despite how loyal you've always been. That is why we didn't tell you that we changed the secret keeper to Peter as a layered defense. I thought that I was so smart in suggesting that, but I wasn't smart enough to realize that it was Peter who was the traitor, not you. I am so sorry to the both of you. I have a feeling that my actions caused both of you pain, especially you, Harry.

"I was supposed to take care of you as your godfather, but I was so overcome with grief and rage that I didn't fight hard enough when Hagrid said that he was taking you to Dumbledore for safe keeping." Harry had to snort at that last part.

He could see that both men were sorry, and a part could understand that it was a terrible time, but these two men were supposed to be there for him and if either one of them had done what his parents expected, then he wouldn't have been placed with his relatives.

"I've never met the man, but Dumbledore has never kept me safe." Both men winced at that. Sirius may not know everything that's been going on, but with little that he did know from Remus didn't paint a happy picture. Before the two of them could go further into their guilt Harry spoke again.

"I'm trying not to make the both of you to feel guilty, or blame you, but I would like to know what happened around that time as well as some information about my parents. Aunt Petunia never really told me anything nice about either one of them."

"Of course, pup. We both have so many stories about you parents. And since I'm your godfather, you can come live with me during the holidays." The look of happiness on Sirius' face completely changed him.

It looked like years were stripped away and not even the grunge and scruff on him could take away how attractive he look. Remus had a similar look on his face, just more restrained and tentative, like he knew that Harry might not want anything to do with them. Thankfully, Harry didn't have to tell them about his hesitation. Madam Bones came over to them, catching the last bit of the conversation.

"I am sorry to say that Harry coming to live with you might not be possible at the moment. Sirius, don't look like that. You've just got out of prison. We have to get you healthy as well as getting you cleared mentally by the Mind Healers at St. Mungo's before you'll be able to take on a dependent. Until then, Mr. Potter is going to be staying in the protection of the goblin nation." Everyone, even Harry, gave her a surprised look.

"The moment that Mr. Potter came to them and were treated by the goblins, they petitioned to have guardianship of Mr. Potter until someone suitable was able to come forward and take care of him. For that to happen, the person has to be mentally and physically healthy, financially secure and have the approval of Mr. Potter himself and preferably on his parents' approved list that was included in their will. Until then, the goblins are responsible for his safety."

"How is this possible? I thought that they couldn't get involved with wizards on this level." Remus asked Amelia what everyone was wondering. The little smirk she gave them before schooling her face showed that she was taking some amusement out of this.

"It is an obscure clause in the treaties that we have with them. Most don't take advantage of it for various reasons, the biggest one is that the goblins usually don't see a need for them to get involved."

"And I'm sure not many know that it is even possible. I've worked for the goblins since I came out of Hogwarts and I don't even know that." Amelia nodded her head at Tombs in understanding.

She wasn't really surprised that not many people knew about this. The only ones that would probably know this was lawyers and department heads dealing with goblins on a regular bases.

"Sirius, we've set a fireplace up for you to St. Mungo's. I'm sure that once they're done checking you over for the day you'll be able to get visitors." Sirius' grip on Remus' hand tightened while he nodded at Amelia. With a nod, Amelia moved off to the side to wait for Sirius. Sirius looked back at Harry with a hopeful expression.

"Will I be able to write to you?" The hopeful look he had Harry agreeing without problem. "I'm glad. I hope that we can get to know each other and that I hopefully able to take of you."

"Just focus on getting better first. Everything else will come in time." Sirius nodded at this but was a little depressed that Harry didn't seem more excited about moving in with him when he was cleared.

"I'm hoping that I will be able to write to you as well? You have no reason to, but I would like the chance to make up for my absence."

"Alright. I'll try to visit you Sirius before I go off to Hogwarts, but no promises. I'm still trying to get my footing here." Remus answered before Sirius.

Remus knew that Sirius wouldn't say the right thing at the moment. Even at his best, Sirius always spoke before completely thinking. Remus and James usually had to explain to him why he got slapped after trying to complement one of the upper years during fifth year at Hogwarts. No telling what Sirius would say after getting out of Azkaban and the effects of the Dementors.

"That's no problem. Writing is a good start at the moment. Come on, Sirius. I'm sure that Madam Bones has a lot to do today without waiting for us." Remus helped Sirius up, saying bye to both Harry and Tombs in the process.

Amelia showed them towards the fireplace they'd be using to get to St. Mungo's. Harry and Tombs watched them leave out of a side door, each lost in their own thoughts that they didn't notice a beetle flying into a dark corner before turning into a blonde woman with tight curls. She may not be able to write as freely about Harry as she wanted to, but that didn't mean that she couldn't write about the people around him.

"Come on, kid. We should get back to the hotel. The reporters should be gone by now since they didn't know that you would be here." Harry nodded his head and they both headed to the checkpoint to retrieve their wands.

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 _ **Albus Dumbledore and Bartemius Crouch Sr. Arrested!**_

 _ **That's right dear readers. Albus Dumbledore and Bartemius Crouch were arrested earlier today. I am sure all of you are wondering what for. The answer to that question is the unlawful imprisonment of Lord Sirius Black in Azkaban. That's right, Sirius Black was unlawfully imprisoned. Lord Sirius Black of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black is innocent of all claimed crimes against him. It seems that Bartemius Crouch, before he was demoted to the Department of Games, threw Lord Black, then Heir Black, into Azkaban without a trial at the direction of Albus Dumbledore. If that is not all, the real person that betrayed the Potters was allowed to go free by Dumbledore. All of this was revealed in Lord Black's trial, the only trial that he's received by the way dear readers.**_

 _ **It seems that the Potters went under the Fidelius Charm that Albus Dumbledore cast himself to help protect the family. Lord Black stated in his trail that he came up with the idea to pose as the Secret Keeper while the true Secret Keeper was hidden away. Who was the Secret Keeper you ask? Why Peter Pettigrew of course. I'm sure that many of you are gasping in surprise at this. Not only was this the first trial of Lord Sirius Black, but it seems that the wrong man was blamed for the Potters' death. I'm sure many of you are wondering about Bartemius Crouch's assurances that Lord Black admitted his guilt, in which Lord Black had this to say:**_

" _ **I knew everyone would assume that I would be the Secret Keeper, and we used that. That way Peter would be safe while the Death Eaters would be looking for me. Little did we know that Peter was the traitor that we feared about. If I hadn't come up with the plan, then my friends would still be alive."**_

 _ **That's right readers. Lord Black put his life on the line just to make sure that no one knew who the real Secret Keeper was. And what did he get in return? Betrayal at every turn. First by Peter Pettigrew who gave away the location to the Potters to You-Know-Who and then pinned the blame on Lord Black. Then by Albus Dumbledore, who knew the identity of theSecret Keeper but didn't come forward with the information. Then finally, by Bartemius Crouch who threw Lord Black into Azkaban at the word of Albus Dumbledore.**_

 _ **If this story isn't disgusting you enough, it also came out that Lord Black was supposed to take in Harry Potter as his godfather. That's right readers, the years of abuse Harry Potter suffered could have been avoided if Lord Black was allowed to take in our Savior. Thanks to Albus Dumbledore though, both Harry Potter and Lord Black suffered for over a decade.**_

 _ **Do not worry though, Albus Dumbledore and Bartemius Crouch are going to be punished. Dumbledore has been fined for his role in stealing from a Noble and Most Ancient House as well as returning the stolen funds. Dumbledore and Crouch are also forced to pay Lord Black 10,000 galleons and one-third of Lord Black's time. In total, both men owe him 100,000 galleons and sentenced to 41 months in Azkaban and stripped of all titles and responsibilities they have. Not to mention that they will be facing a trial to see if they have committed any more crimes. Do not forget that Albus Dumbledore still hasn't been punished for the crimes against Harry Potter. At least we'll know that our children are safe from his 'greater good'. Let us hope that nothing else is revealed. I am sure I am not alone in thinking that our world can only handle so much.**_

 _ **Even with all of this, I am sure that many of you are wondering why both men did such terrible deeds that would allow them to send a child to an abusive home and an innocent man to the Dementers. All evidence seems to point that Crouch was just doing Dumbledore's bidding. For not only was Dumbledore stealing from the Potter vaults, but also the Black vaults as well. This hasn't been proven yet, but it seems that Dumbledore's master plan was to leave Harry Potter with abusive muggles. When the time for Harry to come back into the wizarding world, Dumbledore could have easily manipulated Harry by 'saving' him from his relatives. Of course this couldn't have happened with Sirius Black still in the picture. So he convinces, or bribes, Crouch into throwing Sirius Black into Azkaban without trial. Then it is easy for Dumbledore to forge some documents, remember he was the Chief Warlock at the time, and get access to the Black and Potter fortune. Either way, the trials of both men are scheduled for September 7**_ _ **th**_ _ **and September 8**_ _ **th**_ _ **. Bartemius Crouch will be tried first and followed by Albus Dumbledore the day after. We don't know if Harry Potter or Lord Black will be at the trials, but until then, let's send out well wishes to Lord Black for a speedy recovery in St. Mungo's and to Harry Potter in his ability to form a relationship with the closest thing to true family to him.**_

 _ **Written by Rita Skeeter**_

 _ **Hogwarts Without a Headmaster**_

 _ **With the arrest of Albus Dumbledore Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry no longer has a Headmaster. I'm sure many are thinking that the Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall is going to be the new Headmistress. That, unfortunately is not going to happen to Deputy Head McGonagall who has been teaching at the school since 1957 as the Transfiguration Professor and eventually given the honor of the Gryffindor Head of House and Deputy Headmistress. The Board of Governors are still doing a review of the school and has decided to elect someone else as temporary Headmaster/mistress. This is explained by Lady Longbottom of the Board of Governors:**_

" _ **We are still going to review Hogwarts, and in that affect, we don't want to change the lineup of the teachers so late in the game, especially if they are no longer going to be in employment at Hogwarts or in the same position as before. After this year though, we will be appointing a Headmaster/mistress to stay on. Hopefully, it will be one of the professors already here at Hogwarts, but if not, then the temporary Headmaster/mistress will be permanent."**_

 _ **Well, let us hope that the review isn't as shocking with a Headmaster like Dumbledore. I, myself, am glad that the Board of Governors are taking care of our children.**_

 _ **Written by Rita Skeeter**_

 _ **History of the Crouch Family's Crimes Page 3**_

 _ **History of the Black House Page 3**_

 _ **Azkaban Prison & Dementers Page 5**_

 _ **Crimes of Albus Dumbledore to Date Page 8**_


	6. Preparations

00000000000 Madam Longbottom, Hogwarts School 000000000000

Augusta Longbottom looked around the headmaster office to see all of the teachers assembled. She could tell that a number of them were nervous and she had to restrain herself from smirking. It was about time that some of them worried about their jobs instead of thinking that they weren't expendable. There were other teachers beyond these walls, and knowing that they were partly responsible for Hogwarts' decline over the years, well it wasn't hard to imagine that some of them might not be returning next year. Augusta looked to one of the women besides her looking at the other teachers. Doris Irlam, a half-blood that graduated from Hogwarts 20 years ago, but that didn't mean that she stopped her education like some others. After leaving Hogwarts, Doris went to a muggle university getting her Masters in childhood education. She also got Masters in the wizarding world in Herbology and History, one of the few who had. Over all, she was perfect to be the temporary Headmistress of Hogwarts. Not only will she be able to fix whatever mess Dumbledore left. Augusta almost felt sorry for her. On her other side sat Tiffany Bloomingham. Another half-blood that went to a muggle university after Hogwarts, Tiffany was three years older than Doris at forty. Even though she was older than Doris, it was decided that Tiffany would be better as the High Inquisitor. With her Masters in Administrative Education, Astronomy and Ancient Runes, Tiffany was seen as the perfect person to report back to the Hogwarts Board about everything. Turning back to the room, Augusta decided it was time to start the meeting.

"Professors, thank you for coming on such short notice. I know that for many of you, the imprisonment of Albus Dumbledore has come as a great shock to you. Unfortunately, his absence will not be the only shock to you this day, I am sure. To my left is the new Headmistress Doris Irlam. Some of you may remember her as a student two decades ago, but I hope that will not be a problem. She has her Masters in Herbology and History as well as a muggle Masters in childhood education. She will be here on temporary bases, on the condition that if we do not feel than any of you are able to be Headmaster/mistress, Doris will become the permanent Headmistress." Gasps of shock and disbelief could be heard. Many thought that Minerva would be the next Headmistress after they were done. To know that might not be the case shocked many of them. Augusta continued on as if she didn't hear them.

"To my right, is the High Inquisitor Tiffany Bloomingham. She will be sitting on all of your classes. Be warned, you all are on probation until the end of the year. Ms. Bloomingham will sit in each of your classes at least twice, for every year, on monthly bases. Once you will be aware of but the other you will not be aware of. This is to insure that you are not putting on an act while Ms. Bloomingham is watching. By Yule, we will know if your contract will be renewed for the coming year. Do not let that mean that you are safe for the entire year. If we think that your teaching is completely incompetent, we have the right to fire you before the next semester. Every month, Ms. Bloomingham will be in your classrooms twice to insure consistence and to see if there are any changings to be implemented into your teachings. Ms. Bloomingham will also be reviewing punishments to make sure that no one has favoritism for either their own house or a particular student. Heads of Houses, you will also be reviewed on how you deal with your houses. Since all of you have been a Head of House for over a decade, you should know what should be expected of you. If that is not the truth, we will either talk to you or assign someone else to be the respective Head of House. Are there any questions before I turn it over to Headmistress Irlam?" There was silence for a moment before Snape called attention to himself.

"How will you insure that we Heads of House are doing are job properly?" Augusta nodded to Tiffany to answer the question.

"I will be shadowing you all throw the first week of school to see how you structure your house. I will also talk to your perfects about the jobs and responsibilities they are given. I will also be talking to various students to see how they view their house and their Head of House. I will also see how you handle things throughout the year like bullying, falling grades, and any personal issues your students might go through among other things that might pop up throughout the year. If things are on par, you and the other Heads of House will remain, Professor Snape." Severus gave her a curt nod. When no one else spoke, Augusta turned the floor over to the new Headmistress.

"As Lady Longbottom said, I am Doris Irlam. I am going to be insuring that Hogwarts starts rising to the place of prominence and pride that it once was. That will include recommending who stay and who goes, classes to remain or cancel, as well as see about adding classes for the next year, as well as bringing in warders and curse breakers to see about the school's wards and the supposed curse on the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. I hope that we all are able to work together. I will also call each of you here to review your time here and discuss to see what you think about your time here and how to improve Hogwarts.

"Hopefully, we are able to bring Hogwarts to the standing it once was. This process is not here to punish you, but to hold everyone accountable and to fix past mistakes that caused this once great school to be a joke to the other countries. It is time to show that Hogwarts is the best school in Europe." Many of the teachers nodded their heads. All of them wanted the best for their students and wanted to be a part of it. There was still a little voice in the back of their heads hoping that they would be around long enough to witness Hogwarts rise to grander once again.

00000 Albus Dumbledore, Ministry Holding Cell 00000

Albus Dumbledore sat in his eight-by-ten cell in mental desperation. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. Sure he may have taken money from the Potter account, but it wasn't like he wasn't going to use his money to help the wizarding world. The Noble House of Dumbledore wasn't as well of as many believed. His mother struggled to provide for him and his siblings while his father was in Azkaban. The only reason he was as well off as he was at the moment was because of his research when he was young and the eventual death of his father. Only then did the Dumbledore vaults opened to himself and his brother Aberforth. He may have gotten more with his defeat of Grindelwald, and the positions he held, but he wasn't going to squander all that he worked for. Aberforth may be willing to live in his little hole of a bar, but Albus Dumbledore deserved more than that with everything that he's done for the wizarding world.

So, he may have made a mistake in leaving Harry with his relatives, but honestly, how else was Harry to view him as the leader of the light like everyone else. And really, how could they really blame him for Sirius Black. Everyone else thought that he was guilty; he and Crouch just save the taxpayers some money. And if that meant that he got to dip into Sirius' vault during the confusion, then so be it. Everything was for the greater good, but everyone seemed to be punishing him for it. Dumbledore almost groaned at the amount he had to pay back to the both of them, not to mention the jail time that he was facing. 41 months from sentencing Black to Azkaban plus whatever else from the charges against him from Harry.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the only source of his worry. Albus tried calling for Fawkes, knowing that the Ministry didn't have any wards against phoenixes, but he never answered his calls. Albus almost didn't want to think about why that was, but since he had nothing else to do it was the one of the only things he could think about. Albus knew that Fawkes wasn't due for his burning day for another couple of months, so that wasn't the issue. He also doubted that anyone imprisoned him as well since someone would have noticed the amount of dark magic needed for the ritual. That would mean that his faithful phoenix has abandoned him in his hour of need. The only reason a bonded phoenix abandoned their wizard is if said wizard fell to far from the light. Albus almost dismissed that thought if not for the fact that Fawkes hasn't come for him yet.

Even though Fawkes left him, Albus couldn't bring himself to admit that he fell so far from the light. Maybe it was the fact that the way he went towards the Greater Good wasn't the best or 'Lightest' way of doing things, but that was the only reasons that Fawkes wasn't helping him. Maybe Fawkes was just trying to teach him a lesson and would come for him during the trial coming up. Albus perked up at that.

No matter what anyone else says, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore knew how to delude himself into thinking he was doing good. Too bad the only way to break that thought was a few years in Azkaban.

000000 Sirius Black, August 31st, St. Mungo's 00000

Sirius Black was resting on his hospital bed at St. Mungo's. Remus had left twenty minutes ago to get something to eat and to give him some privacy for the Healers in his room, not to mention the Mind Healer on his way. Sirius mind still went to Harry and how he acted when they first met. Sirius didn't notice it at the time, but Harry had a guarded look to him. Sirius couldn't blame him, but it still hurt that Harry didn't react more strongly towards him. Hopefully Harry would open up to him later on. Sirius was brought out of his thoughts with a knock on his door.

"Come in."

"Lord Sirius Black, I presume. I am the Mind Healer assigned to you for the duration of your case. You may call me Healer Shafig or just Shafig if you prefer." Healer Shafig looked to be on the short side at about 5'5" with black hair, blue eyes and a slightly tanned complexion. All in all, he had a boyish but professional look about him.

"Nice to meet you. Guess I have to reveal all of my deepest secrets to you." Healer Shafig smiled at him while taking a seat.

"Only if you want to, Lord Black." Sirius looked surprised at being called Lord Black and couldn't help himself from commenting. Sirius forgot that he was called Lord Black through the trial.

"Lord Black? My mother blasted me off the family tree during my sixth year. There is no way that the Lordship passed to me."

"I can assure you that you are the new Lord to The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. Your mother may have disowned you, but since your father didn't publicly proclaim you disowned or stripped as the Black Heir, you are now the Lord of House Black." Sirius stared at the Healer for a good moment before he started laughing. It was the first true laugh since coming out of Azkaban.

"My mother is probably rolling in her grave at the moment."

"You seemed to be extremely happy about that thought." Healer Shafig opened a file and took out a muggle pen. He may be a pure-blood, but that didn't mean he was above using muggle inventions to make his work a little easier.

"Of course I'm happy about that. That woman made my life a living hell. She was so into the Dark Arts and so disappointed that I wasn't. Not to mention that Regulus, my perfect little brother, could do no wrong. He did everything she said, learned the Dark Arts, the perfect aristocrat, got sorted into the right Hogwarts house, and then joined the Dark Lord. All it got him is a death warrant with the rest of my family who followed him. The only ones alive are my three cousins, and one of them is at Azkaban enjoying the weather." Sirius let out another barked laugh before calming down.

"What do you plan to do with the Lordship?"

"Throw out everything tainted by the Dark Arts. Kick out Bella. Oh, I can almost hear her when she realizes that she no longer has the Black family magicks. Might just dissolve the marriage before I do that." Sirius got caught up in his thoughts it left Healer Shafig to make some notes. He had a feeling that Sirius Black had more issues than being in Azkaban for a decade. Healer Shafig got Sirius' attention before moving forward.

"The latter idea does have some merit; I want to talk about throwing out family artifacts. Why not just have them cleansed and keep them."

"My family was a bunch of bastards save a few of them. If it wasn't for my Uncle Alphard, I would have been broke when I was kicked out. There is also Andy. She was kicked out for daring to marry a muggleborn and not the ponce they wanted her to marry. I know that she was disowned for that little stunt." Sirius snorted at that. He knew that it was a surprise to them that the daughter she had was a metamorphosis. Sirius laughed himself silly at the time. He was brought out of his musings by the sounds of Healer Shafig writing down something. When Sirius looked over, he was surprised to see him writing with a pen. "You're using a pen. I wouldn't think that a pureblood would use a pen."

"How do you know that I'm a pureblood, Lord Black?"

"My mother forced me to memorize the sacred 28. To her, they were the only families worthy to be talked about in the Black home, except for the Weaslys of course." Sarcasm was dripping from his voice. Healer Shafig couldn't help to chuckle at that. His family was the same way. The only difference is that his family didn't disown him when he didn't follow the Dark Lord. Sirius' voice brought him back to the present. "And stop calling me Lord Black. That was my father and I am not him, just Sirius."

"Well, just Sirius, you are going to have to get use to people calling you Lord Black, but until then, I can call you Sirius. And for your other question, just because I'm a pureblood doesn't mean that I'm as ignorant of muggle inventions and society. Plus it's easier writing notes with a pen then with a quill. Now, are you going to answer my question?" Sirius gave him a confused look and Shafig made a note of it before reminding him.

"Oh, well I see no reason to keep those things. Especially if it will get back at those bigots."

"But they are already dead. It is one thing to get rid of something that is dangerous and can't be cleansed, but what about those that can be or could be used for good further down the road. Getting back at you family doesn't mean that you have to throw away the history of you family. You said it yourself, not everyone in your family are 'bastards' as you put it." Sirius snorted at that, but couldn't help think about what Shafig said.

"Healer Shafig, just to know, who would be best to do cleansing and curse breaking?"

"If it is just a small amount of items, I would say a private firm. But if it is a big amount or even a property, the goblins are the way to go." Sirius nodded his head at that. Grimmauld place would be the perfect place to cleanse. Maybe redecorate so he and Remus could move into. They could get the place ready for when Harry comes to live with them. He'll still be getting back at his family and getting a place ready for his godson. Shafig cleared his throat again to get his attention.

"That was a good first session to begin with."

"It was? But you just got here."

"Sirius, we've been talking for almost thirty minutes. This session was a baseline to see how much I think we need to see each other and what are the major points that we're going to work on first." Sirius looked at the cloak over the bathroom door and saw that they have been talked for half an hour. Time went faster than he thought, but the Healers said that was normal for someone who spent as much time as he did in Azkaban. Sirius then registered the other part of Shafig's statement.

"So, how many times are we seeing each other? Once or twice a week right?"

"Actually, I was thinking about starting with four times a week." Sirius couldn't hide the surprised look on his face and Shafig had to look away before he laughed. Luckily he could brush it off as him retrieving a notebook from his bag. "I would also like for you to write down your thoughts, questions and goals as well. I've notice that you have trouble focusing for a length of time. Hopefully, this will help you get your thoughts in order and focus you. It will not be an overnight thing, but it will help in the long-run." Shafig handed the tan notebook over that had a pen tucked between the pages. Sirius looked a little overwhelmed, so Shafig just waited until he could process everything. Sirius seemed to have collected himself ten minutes before focusing on Shafig again.

"What will we be focusing on?"

"At the moment, we will be focusing on how you view your family. We will also go over what is expected of you as a Lord. The ministry has also informed me that you are hoping to get custody of your godson?" Sirius conformed that with excited nodding. "We will then be going over what you need to do to make that happen. These are the main things that we are going to work on, but that doesn't mean that other things won't be discussed or worked on during this process. Is that understood?"

"Yeah, no problem."

"Is there anything you would like to ask me at the moment?"

"Will I have to show you what I write in the notebook?"

"Not unless you want to. You can use it to however you need it. The notebook is just a tool to help you along and to help organize yourself. You can keep everything in there private, use parts of it as a guide to help us through the sessions, or show me everything in there. It is all up to you and I will not pressure you one way or another.

"I also want to remind you that if you feel like you need to talk about something that we didn't cover today or in one of our future sessions, it's alright to talk about it or bring it up. I'm here to help you through whatever issues are bothering you at the moment as well as help you to reach your goals. Does that sound good?"

"Yeah. Do you think that I'll be able to get Harry by the time he finishes his first year?"

"Truthfully, Sirius, I think that is a little too soon to be thinking about taking care of someone else. You'll be in St. Mungo's until the end of October at least to fix most of the physical damage. Then we have to insure the main property that you're residing at is safe for an underage wizard. The most worrying thing is your mental health. One session cannot tell me how long it will take to get you mentally healthy to not only take care of yourself, but a minor as well." Sirius' face fell at that. He had hoped that he would be able to take Harry in when the summer break rolled around.

"Don't let this get you down. Depending on how well you do, you could get supervised guardianship."

"What's supervised guardianship?"

"Supervised guardianship is when the person who has primary guardianship, in this case the goblins and the wizard they assigned to Mr. Potter, is willing to share custody with you. Now the goblins and the assigned wizard, a Mr. Tombs by my notes, will have primary custody, but at least you will be able to get to know Mr. Potter and for him to get to know you as well as get accustomed to the house that you two will be staying. The only drawback is that if Mr. Potter wishes to leave, he is able to do that and full guardianship will revert back to the goblins."

"So if he doesn't like me, then I will have no chance in keeping him?"

"Not necessarily. He could want to go out of the country or to one of his friend's house. Anyway, we have until the end of June to worry about that. We first have to get you to the point to be considered to have a supervised guardianship. Meaning that you have to listen to the Medi-Healers, have an acceptable primary resident, and I have to approve that you are mentally stable for guardianship. If we do this correctly, you might have primary guardianship by his second or third year."

"That long?"

"Sirius, this isn't a process that can be rushed. Both you and Mr. Potter have been through an awful experience. The healing that both of you need to go through is long and difficult. Rushing either of your healing processes could cause more harm than good for the both of you." Sirius let out a breath. He didn't like that but he understood it. Then again, out of all of the Marauders, Sirius was the one who had issue with impulse control and patience. With another sigh, Sirius focused again to the Mind Healer.

"I'll try my best, but I should tell you, Healer Shafig, that I have issues with patience and impulse control." Shafig couldn't help but to chuckle at that.

"I'll make a note of that for future sessions to work on then. One more thing before I go. Do you have someone that you can rely on while you're going through everything? It's good to have a support base to fall back on through all this."

"Well, I just got reacquainted with my friend Remus. And Andy visited me yesterday with her husband. We were close before everything went south." Shafig wrote that down while nodding.

"That's good. You will need that and hopefully we'll be able to have a session with them at some point in the future. Until then, let them help you during this time. I realize that there will be times when you will be more comfortable talking to them concerning some topics than with me. All that I ask of you is that you talk to the people that are here to help you."

"And if I can't?"

"Then write it down in your notebook. I don't want you internalizing things at the moment. Even if you don't show anyone I want you to write what's going on, good or bad. Understand, Lord Black?" Sirius nodded his head while clutching the notebook closer to himself. "Good. Then it's my time to go. Is there anyone I should send up?"

"My friend Remus should be in the cafeteria getting something to eat. Could you send him up? He didn't want to be in the way with all the Healers coming in and out." Shafig nodded his head before bidding Sirius goodbye. Fifteen minutes later Remus showed up and took the seat that Healer Shafig was sitting in. The both of them stayed in silence, trapped in their own thoughts.

00000 Andromeda Tonks nee Black 00000

Andromeda sat in her kitchen thinking over the last couple of days. She found out that her favorite cousin wasn't the murdering traitor that she thought he was and also found some disturbing information about her other cousin, Harry Potter. They may be distantly related, but she still held family close to her, no matter what her own family did to her. To top it all off, she got a letter from Gringotts to be present at Lily and James Potter will reading. She was never that close to the couple and was wondering why she was included at all. With another sigh, her thoughts circled around back to Sirius. Now that he was out of Azkaban, he could take the mantel as Head of House for the Black family, meaning that she might be welcomed back into the family. Andromeda never regretted marrying her husband, but she did miss the family magicks going through her. It could also be a good thing for her daughter Nymphadora. No matter how much she hated it, she knew that the backing of a powerful, and old, family will open doors quicker than anything else. When Sirius got better, Andromeda had every attention of asking to be welcomed back and her daughter to be recognized as well.

This would also help Nymphadora with her metamorphosis abilities. She may be the first Black to get the ability in generations, but it was still causing her trouble since she didn't have the Black family magicks. Without the family magicks, her ability wouldn't be as controlled as it could be and her balance was downright dangerous at times. The number of times that she tripped down stairs and the one time she almost fell over one of the schools railings still sent shivers down her spine. But with the Black family magicks, all of that wouldn't be a problem anymore. Andromeda was distracted by the sound of someone sliding down the stairs followed by a muffled thump. A second later the very daughter she was thinking about walked into the kitchen rubbing her butt. Andromeda had to refrain from sighing and sent a silent plea to Magic that Sirius will let her back, and by extension Nymphadora, into the family. Maybe then she could focus on why her daughter hated her name so much.

"Dear, why don't join me for tea. I have something to talk to you about before you go back to Hogwarts this year."

"'Kay mom, but I already know that Dumbledore is no longer the Headmaster any more. No one could have missed that story." Andromeda smirked at that. It was true that the papers and magazines have been talking about Dumbledore's fall from grace, but the reason why whipped that smirk away.

"Actually, this is not about Dumbledore. It is actually about Harry Potter and Sirius Black." Nymphadora looked surprised at that. Besides Dumbledore, Harry Potter and Sirius Black were the other headliners for the past week. What her mother was about to tell her would surprise her even more. "First I will start with Sirius Black. I'm sure that you remember me telling you that we are related to him. The thing is that he was the heir when he was sent to Azkaban. Now that he is out, he is the acting Head of House for the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. And since I use to be a Black that means that there is a possibility that Sirius might welcome me back into the house again. That won't change anything for me, but for you it will."

"How will it affect me? Am I suddenly going to be called Black or something?" Andromeda chuckled at that before answering.

"No, dear, you will still be a Tonks until you get married. But it will help you with whatever career that you go into being a part of a Noble and Most Ancient House. There is something else that will change, well two things actually."

"What!? What!? Will I suddenly become rich or something?"

"Actually yes. As a member of the Black family, you will be given a trust vault. How much will be given to you will be dependent on Sirius, but on average you will receive a couple thousand galleons a year." Nymphadora's mouth dropped at that. A couple thousand galleons. Meanwhile, Andromeda couldn't help to laugh at the look her daughter was showing. "Close your mouth Nymphadora, you'll catch something. And, as for the second point I would like to bring up as that if and when we're accepted back into the family, your metamorphosis will improve."

"How will it improve? I'm the only one of seven that has full control over it."

"Technically, you don't. Wait, let me explain. Yes you are able to morph completely, but even you have to admit that when your emotions get away from you, it's not so easy to control, namely your hair." As if to prove a point, Nymphadora's hair that was bright pink before turned red in her embarrassment. "There is also the fact that your balance is completely off. I'm sure that you remember the other metamorph that you met a few years back had a grace about him. You would gain that same grace with the Black family magicks flowing through you. The magicks will help to settle you and give you better control and even range. With enough practice, you could very easily become an animagus as well." Nymphadora slumped into her chair. She never thought that this would happen to her. Apparently her mother didn't either or she would have told her before now. All of this and she still had something to say about Harry Potter. Nymphadora was a little scared what her mother was going to tell her next, it was all overwhelming. Andromeda let her daughter compose herself before moving on. She knew that this was a lot to take in, especially with this being her N.E.W.T. year. Hopefully everything she was about to tell her daughter wasn't too much to place on her daughter's shoulders.

"Now, onto the other issue. I'm sure that you've read the news about Harry Potter and how his relatives mistreated him." Nymphadora nodded her head at that. The news almost made her physically ill that anyone could treat a child like that.

"Yeah, some of my classmates that have aurors as relatives say that Rita was actually withholding some of the details. They couldn't tell me much of course, but they thought that if Rita was withholding information, then it must be really bad." Andromeda had to sigh at that. Even her family, as dark as they were, never thought of abusing a child to that level. Andromeda had to force her mind away from the thoughts of Harry's abuse for the time being. There was plenty of time to think about it and wonder if there was anything that she could have done to help him.

"It is a shame that happened to him, especially after everything that he went through, but that wasn't why I mentioned him. I actually wanted to inform you that Harry is also Sirius' heir along with being the Potter heir."

"I thought that you had to be related to someone to be named their heir?"

"Good to know that you're paying attention to my lectures. And Harry is related to us as well. His grandmother was a Black before marrying into the Potter House. It actually makes him your fourth cousin if I'm thinking correctly." Nymphadora couldn't help her mouth hanging open again. To think that she was related to the Harry Potter. If the situation wasn't so bad, she would be writing all of her friends and bragging about it.

"You really are going to catch something if you keep your mouth open, Nymphadora." Andromeda smiled at her daughter snapping her mouth shut. "While you are at Hogwarts, I would like for you to extend a hand of friendship. I think that it would be good to have some family that was actually family towards him. I know that this is asking a lot from you, but I believe that you can help him adjust to the wizarding world a little better without you wanting something from him." Nymphadora nodded at that. It made since and she really wouldn't want anything from him, it was just cool that she was related to The-Boy-Who-Lives. Andromeda smiled at Nymphadora, glad that she raised such a good daughter. Both women were brought out of their thoughts by the front door opening and closing.

"Andromeda? Nymph? Are you two home?"

"In here dear. We were just having tea and a little talk." Ted Tonks came into the kitchen and smiled at his family. He could see that Andromeda was informing Nymphadora about being welcomed into the House of Black. The look on his daughter's face was similar to his when discussing what would change if that happened. Thankfully, most of the changes would be good. The only thing that worried Ted was the thought of having a Head of House that wasn't him. He remembered Sirius well enough, but anyone spending that amount of time in Azkaban, no matter how much help they get, was bound to have some issues. Ted only hoped that nothing too outrageous would be asked of them or that Nymphadora wasn't sold to the highest bidder, no matter how 'light' they were. Taking a seat, Ted jumped into one of the hardest, and weirdest, conversations he had. At times like these, he wondered what life would have been like if he never got his Hogwarts letter and found out about magic.

00000000 Madam Bones, Bones Manor 000000000

Amelia Bones was one tired witch. Not only did she have to deal with two high profile Ministry officials, but also the goblins as well as deal with the fallout with Sirius Black's trial. The amount of people coming forward about their loved ones being innocent was intense to say the least. The bad thing about it was that they had to take it seriously because of what Crouch and Dumbledore did, not to mention looking into everyone sent to Azkaban in the last decade to see if anyone else slipped through the cracks.

Unfortunately this meant that Amelia couldn't come home to her niece Susan for the past week. Thankfully Susan understood this, but her understanding never made it easier on either of them. But Amelia made sure that she was free today and most of tomorrow to prepare Susan for school. This would be her first year going to Hogwarts and the both of them were feeling the separation anxiety. Ever since the death of Susan's parents and the rest of the Bones family, the both of them clung together in their own ways. And with everything Amelia Bones found out about Harry Potter's life, letting Susan out of her sight, let alone out of the Bone's manor wards was getting harder and harder. With a sigh, Amelia got up and decided to start with the day. She only had one more day before sending her niece to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

00000000 Harry Potter 000000000

It was the evening of August 31st and Harry was going over everything in his trunk and book bag one more time. His book bag was holding a couple of books for him to read while on the train among other things to help him through the ride while his trunk held everything else, including Hedwig's cage. It was decided that she would fly to the school in the mourning so she wouldn't to be stuck in her cage for the long train trip. Harry's double check was interrupted by Tombs knocking on his door.

"Hey, kid. Just making sure that you have everything ready for tomorrow morning?"

"Yeah, I'm just making sure of that right now. Don't want to get all the way to the train and then realize that I forgot something. Probably see it up for auction somewhere." Tombs smirked at that. Harry had a point. No matter how posh a hotel was, the moment someone can make a quick knut they usually take it.

"True, but other than making sure you don't make someone insanely rich, I wanted to go over what we're going to do tomorrow." Harry put the last bit of his things that he wouldn't need away before turning his attention back to Tombs. "Okay, we are going to go early to avoid the crowds on both sides of the barrier. This will make it easier on you to get yourself settled and reduce the risk of you getting mobbed. I'm also going to put a mild glamour on you. It won't change you to muck, but no one will immediately think your Harry Potter."

"Thin how will they know I'm not Harry Potter?"

"You'll be surprised what a different hair and eye color can do. Not to mention that some of the older students might recognize the glamour and call you out on it. The longer people don't realize that your, well you the better. The glamour will fall if either too many people realize that you have a glamour or when you are called up for sorting. Any questions?"

"What will my name be if I'm not Harry Potter?"

"That's for you to decide. It's going to be your name for a day." Tombs smirked at him before getting up and heading for the door.

"Tombs?" Tombs turned to see Harry looking nervous and worrying his bottom look. This was the first time Tombs saw him actually nervous and he didn't like it one bit.

"Yeah, Harry?"

"Will it be okay if I started writing you?" Tombs' face softened for a moment. No matter what, Harry was still a kid with some self-confidence issues.

"Sure, kid. I'd like that. I'll even right back, although there will be times that it will take a while since I sometimes go out of the country." Harry's bright face didn't seem deterred about that at all. Tombs kept him-self from chuckling at his excitement and decided to give him a little treat. "How about we go out to eat tonight? There is this good steak restaurant that I would like to show you. It'll be a good reason to bust out those good robes I had you buy." Harry's smile almost split his face before he scrambled to get everything he needed. Tombs left to give Harry his privacy and get ready for the night out. They might be photographed by the press, but it was a risk he was willing to take to give Harry a good night.


	7. Hogwart's Express

Harry and Tombs made their way to Platform 9 ¾ a hour before it was to leave. There weren't that many families around at the moment, which made it even better for their plans. Just as Tombs promised, Harry was put under a glamour that seemed to completely change him. His hair was now a dirty blonde and his eyes were a honey brown. The changes seemed small to him when they were talking, but when he looked in the mirror, it seemed to completely change his face. Hopefully it would hold for the duration of the train ride.

"So how do we do this again?" Tombs had to smirk at Harry. Even though Harry was usually able to hide most of his emotions, there were times that they clearly showed. If Harry wasn't so young, Tombs might be willing to give him a few lessons in mind magicks. Tombs hoped that he was in Harry's life long enough to see about that. The kid seemed to have grown on him.

"There is a wall that is in between the 9 and 10 platforms. There is a pillar before you reach Platform 10 that is the barrier for Platform 9 ¾ that is warded against muggles noticing. We'll just have to move quickly through the barrier. For some strange reason it's set up to only allow passage if your jogging or running at it."

"Really? There isn't any other way that you are able to go through?"

"There is a Floo Network set up, but I thought that it would be better if we went this way."

"Why? Wouldn't it have been easier?"

"Yes, but I wanted you to be able to tell where the muggle entrance was. Plus I thought that your first Floo travel would be better in a less occupied setting. We'll probably use when I pick you up from Hogwarts for the will reading." Harry nodded at that before he thought of something.

"Would you be able to pick me up earlier? I would like to meet with the goblins to go over everything that they found before the reading." Tombs nodded at this. It made since and would be better than having to wait around on a Saturday.

"That's a good idea. Since I'm taking you through the Floo on the way there, I can show you the joys of Apparition on the way back." Harry felt a chill go down his spine. The look that Tombs was giving him had Harry thinking that he shouldn't eat anything beforehand. "We'll worry about that later. For now, let's focus on getting you set on the train. The barrier is coming up." Harry looked and saw the pillar that Tombs was talking about. Harry also noticed that everyone else was avoiding the pillar, but looking at the other pillars Harry could see people standing in front of them or leaning against them. Guess that's the spells Tombs was talking about.

"So we just start running when we get close enough?"

"Yeah. This is the entrance for muggleborns and some wizarding families that decide to use this instead of Flooing to the platform. Now get ready, we're about to go through to the platform." Harry hesitated before he started jogging with Tombs. This was the start of another chapter of his new life and he was equally worried and excited. Harry had to hope that this would be the start of something great.

000000 Sirius Black & Remus Lupin 00000

Sirius and Lupin were sitting in the hospital room slightly down. Today was the day that Harry boarded the train to Hogwarts, and neither of them was able to see him off. The Healers thought that it was too soon to let him out of the hospital and Remus didn't want to leave Sirius alone. Not to mention that they only got a letter from Harry that seemed a little stilted. But neither of them could blame him, but it didn't make either of them feel better.

"Do you think that we will ever be close to him, Remus?"

"I really don't know, Sirius. We both failed him in our own way. Lily and James trusted us with Harry, but we both allowed our grief and anger to cloud our judgement and duties. Hopefully we will be able to get to know him and build a relationship with him." Sirius nodded at this, but it didn't help him that much. Sirius couldn't help to think that this was mainly on him. No matter what Remus says, Sirius felt that he had more responsibility than Remus did. Sirius was the one named godfather, and for a single moment he had acted like one. He went straight to the Potters the moment he felt something was wrong. The moment he saw Hagrid with Harry, he felt both relieved and heartbroken. Relieved that Harry was alive, but heartbroken knowing that if Hagrid was carrying Harry then his friends was dead. He had asked Hagrid to take Harry, but as soon as Hagrid gave him an excuse that Dumbledore had sent him to take care of Harry, Sirius ran after that traitor as fast as he could. Deep down, he knew that he never fought as hard as he should have when it concerned Harry. And look at what it got him. He was imprisoned in Azkaban, Remus was cut off from his pack, and Harry was tossed with abusive relatives. Sirius looked at the journal on his bedside table. He hadn't started it yet, but decided that now was a good time as any. Before he could reach for it though, a knock on the door caught both men's attention. The door opened to show Andromeda.

"Hello, Sirius, Remus. May I come in?"

"Andy, of course. I thought you would be taking your daughter to the train, unless she's already graduated?" Andromeda had to smile at that.

"No, Nymphadora is in her final year at Hogwarts and the train has safely left the station. I thought that I would come and visit you afterwards since I have the day off." Sirius nodded before realizing that Andromeda was still standing by the door.

"Come in and take a seat. It's good to see you."

"You as well, Sirius and Remus, of course." Remus nodded with a gently smile on his face. Andromeda was always kind to him, even after learning about him being a werewolf.

"Thank you, Andromeda. It's good to see you as well."

"Yeah, it's nice to have some other family here."

"Of course, Sirius, although I feel that I should be apologizing to you. I never did anything after I found out that you were arrested and sent to Azkaban."

"It's okay, Andy …"

"No it's not. Out of our entire family, we were always the closest to each other. No matter what, I should have made sure one way or another if what they were saying about you was true or not. It shames me to say that I was afraid that if I did, especially after what Bella did, that they would assume that I was a part of this. Especially since Bella and I look so much alike, I was sure that many would think that I was like her as well. It wouldn't have mattered that I married a muggleborn and had his child." The bitterness and shame in her voice was plain to hear.

Sirius and Remus was both speechless for a moment before Sirius was able to snap out of his surprise, which was a statement since Remus was usually the one to handle these situations.

"Andromeda, I understand and thank you, but me spending time in Azkaban is not your fault. It's the fault of Dumbledore, Crouch, and myself. If I had done my duty and taken Harry in like I was supposed to, then this would not have happened. Even then, if Dumbledore and Crouch weren't such bastards and actually did the right thing, then we would have never been in this situation. I don't blame you or you Remus for that matter, for not looking closer at my imprisonment. What happens now is that we heal and move on from it." Both Remus and Andromeda were surprised at Sirius' words. It was one of the few times that they heard Sirius be, well serous. But they were both glad at that and nodded their heads in agreement. Both knew that they would never stop blaming themselves, to a point anyway, about Sirius' time in Azkaban, but they can focus on making a future that included all of them. Andromeda reached out and squeezed Sirius's hand in understanding and gratitude.

"Thank you, Sirius. It's a relief that you do not blame me. I hope that we can be family once more." Sirius nodded before smiling.

"Alright, enough of this heavy stuff. How is your Nymphadora. I remember her starting to get control of changing her hair and facial features." Andromeda couldn't help laugh at that and even Remus let out a chuckle. Sirius would always brag about what Nymphadora was doing in relation to her metamorphic abilities.

"She is now able to do full body transformations, of the same gender at least, is able to do some minor animal transformations, like a duck's bill or a dog's paw, and is even able to change her vocal cords to mimic anyone that she hears. Although I do wish that she wouldn't choose a hair color that can be seen yards away in the dark." Sirius' dog bark laugh filled the room.

"That's good to hear. It's almost surprising how well she has control of her abilities without the Black family magicks flowing through her." That seemed to spark something in Sirius that he completely missed the minor flinch of Andromeda. Remus sent her an apologetic smile before their attentions were brought back to Sirius.

"Now that I think about it, how would you and Ted feel if I accepted the both of, and Nymphadora, into the Black fold. I would understand if you didn't want to come back, but it would be nice to have a sane Black." Andromeda had to laugh at this. The Black madness was something everyone attributed to the family thanks to the Dark Magic running through their veins as well as to the inbreeding that was practiced. Marrying second cousins weren't as frowned upon in the Black family as it was with other families.

"Sirius, you're sane as well, for a Black anyway." Remus had a teasing smile to lessen the jab. When Andromeda got control of her laughter she answered Sirius' question.

"Cousin, I would like to be brought back into the family. I and Ted talked about the possibility, although we both thought that it would be further down the road until you got better. I don't want you straining yourself bringing us into the Black family, especially since Ted doesn't have any of the Black blood…"

"Andy, Andy, calm down. The Healers approved me of doing magic by next week. I'll start building my magic reserves back up so by the time the Yule holidays come around, we can start the rituals to make the Tonks family a branch to the Black family." Andromeda beamed at Sirius, glad that Sirius was accepting her and her family into the Black family, as well as interrupting her rambling to tell her. The rest of the day went with Remus, Sirius and Andromeda getting to know each other again and reminiscing about happier times. They had enough time to discuss the other member of their family that they wish to bring into the fold.

00000 Harry Potter, Hogwarts Express 00000

Harry managed, with Tombs' help, to find an empty compartment to wait in. After putting his trunk on the overhead shelves, Tombs gave him a couple more pointers before leaving to the platform. Harry could still see him waiting off the side, just to make sure that Harry got off safely and prevent anything while he still could. Harry felt thankful at this, and wished that he could ride on the train with him. Unfortunately that wasn't an option. Harry resigned himself to that fact.

Harry decided to people watch while he could. It would be another half hour before the train was supposed to leave, making the platform even busier than before. He saw a father and son with blond hair so light that it was almost white with a woman with brown hair. The entire family was striking and intimidating that caused many people to give them a three feet breathing room. Harry also saw another family with two daughters, one looking forlorn that the other was going. It interested Harry about the different reactions that he saw.

Some families seemed to be the definition of proper behavior while others seemed to not care that others were seeing them embarrass their kids. Harry couldn't help laughing at some of this. Harry was brought out of his people watching when his compartment door was opened.

The boy who opened the door seemed to either be a tall first year or a short second year. His hair was styled into a neat messiness that Harry wished he could mimic if only his hair would cooperate. His clothes were high end from what Harry could tell, but washed him out a little with his light complexion that had little to no sunlight. Luckily, Harry's staring wasn't considered rude since the other boy seemed surprised that someone else was in the compartment.

"Sorry, I didn't think that anyone would be on the train yet. I can find another compartment." For some reason Harry didn't want the mystery boy to go. Maybe he could be a friend, or at least an acquaintance before his identity was revealed. So before the boy could fully turn around Harry called out to him.

"It's no problem. If you want we can share. I can even help you with your trunk." The boy seemed to be surprised but nodded his head in agreement. Harry helped him put his trunk up, noticing that it also had a feather light charm on it. "Glad you got the feather light charm on it or we'd have even more trouble with it."

"Yeah, my grandfather is not really one to lug something around, so he got me one of the more useful charmed trunks."

"Yeah, I have a lot of books, so mine would be a nightmare without it." Both of them laughed at that.

"So, do you think you'll end up in Ravenclaw since you brought your own library?"

"Not sure. I think it either Ravenclaw or Slytherin. I mean, I like reading and learning new things, but I also like using that knowledge instead of learning just to learn. By the way, I'm Harry Pitch." Harry stuck out his hand, waiting for the other boy to introduce himself.

He and Tombs decided to keep his first name since it was common and just change his last name. That way he didn't have to worry about not responding if someone called him while on the train. It only may be for one day, but both of them thought it best not to draw any attention to the fact that Harry would hesitate recognizing his name. The other boy speaking brought Harry out of his thoughts.

"I'm Theodore Nott, but usually everyone calls me Theo." Theo shook Harry's hand and it took a moment for Harry to recognize the name.

Harry read that Cantankerus Nott wrote the book about the Sacred 28 and that his son was a confirmed Death Eater spending his life time in Azkaban. This must be his son, meaning that Cantankerus was the one watching Theo since his father couldn't, ever. It seemed that his knowledge showed on his face since Theo's seemed to have closed off. He yanked his hand back before standing up.

"I guess you didn't realize who I was before. I'll get my stuff and go into another compartment."

"Hey, it's okay. I wasn't about to do anything. I was just going to see if you were into blood purity before either of us had to leave. I'm a half-blood myself, so you never know how anyone is going to react."

"You sure? I wouldn't want to taint your chances of friends since I'm a Death Eaters son." Theo looked at Harry strangely and a little bit of hope under his guarded expression.

"I'm sure, as long as you don't start sprouting off the Sacred 28. My father may be a pureblood, but my mother wasn't."

"Really, I don't recognize your surname." Theo took a seat, although he wasn't as relaxed as before. He was on the edge of his seat, waiting to run if it seemed like a good idea.

"Yeah, I'm sure. My family hasn't been in Britain for a couple of generations, so I'm not surprised. Most of the fortune has been made out of Britain." A little white lie, but close enough to the truth that it didn't raise enough flags.

"So why are you in Britain again if your family is out of the country?"

"I'm living with some of my relatives hear. My family was killed in an attack." Theo blanched at this, not that you could really tell with his complexion. Harry was thinking if Theo ever went outside or was he naturally pale.

"Sorry, I didn't know. I'm sorry for you lose." Harry nodded in thanks, deciding to change the subject.

"Thank you. Which house do you think you'll get into?" Theo seemed to be relieved and latched onto the new subject. They talked about that, as well as the other families that they saw. Five minutes before the train was to leave, a huge family of red heads rushed in.

"That's the Weasleys. They're a pureblood family but lost their fortune two generations back thanks to the Malfoy family tricking them. The Wizengamot made a law about doing something like that again, but it was too late for the Weasleys. Not to mention that they say that they're not purebloods and turn their backs on our traditions has labeled them blood-traitors to this day, although grandfather says that the oldest sons aren't as bad as their parents."

"Do you know why?"

"Well, the oldest one works with the goblins as a curse breaker. Usually, grandfather looks down on them socially, even if he respects the job, but he once met the oldest while in Egypt and said that he was really respectful and seemed to honor the old ways. The second son on the other hand is a dragon trainer. Grandfather hasn't met him of course, but some of his friends do business with the dragon trainers for legal parts and say that he also follows the old ways. It's rumored that the both of them got jobs out of the country to be away from their overbearing family and to also practice the Old Ways. Can you imagine having to leave the country to practice wizarding traditions?"

"No. Does anyone know why the Weasleys are so against the Old Ways? I mean, it is a part of their family magicks."

"That's why they're even more of an outcast then they already are, although it seems that some of this generation are returning to the Old Ways. As to the why, many think it has to do with my grandfather writing the book about the Sacred 28 a couple of decades after the Weasleys lost their fortune. I think it's because no one stood with them or helped them that they started to resent pureblood culture and turned from it. Even now they say that they have some muggle blood in them. Mind you, most have a little in their line, but they don't yell it like the Weasleys do. But it doesn't matter since Arthur and Molly Weasley are firmly against the Old Ways and our traditions. Add the fact that they have such a big family and extremely poor makes others sneer at them for not being able to properly take care of their kids. It's said that they can't even send their kids with a proper wand until around their fourth or fifth year, and that's even with the scholarship money that they receive from Hogwarts." Theo shook his head at the thought. Everyone knew that not having a proper wand could stunt a wizard's growth.

Harry on the other hand took another look at the family. They seemed to be looking for someone while being loud, causing everyone to look at them. It seemed that Molly Weasley was trying to wipe one of her son's face, but he was fighting it before escaping to the train. The only kid who stayed with the older Weasleys was a little girl that Harry assumed was their daughter. It seemed that she would be joining them in the next year or two. Harry couldn't tell since they were further down on the platform.

"Do you think that any of the other children are interested in wizard tradition?"

"It's hard to say. The only thing that I've heard about them are the twins that we saw. They are the fourth and fifth oldest of the bunch, but are known to be heavy pranksters. From what I've heard is that they don't bully one house over another thankfully, or Slytherins would be the main target with them being in Gryffindor. Just watch yourself and see if you could get yourself in their good graces. It seems that they don't prank their friends as much as other people." Harry nodded at the new information.

Harry was starting to worry that wizarding politics started at eleven and you had to work your way up from there. Letting out a small sigh, Harry looked over to his companion. Even though his family was known in supporting the madman the destroyed his life, Theo seemed nice, if a little lonely. Harry was hoping that Theo really didn't follow in his family's ideals in how to be a pureblood. Harry may be new to the wizarding world, but the books that he read and what Tombs told him gave Harry the base ideals flouting around the pureblood sector. That didn't even cover what the half-bloods and muggleborns thought.

Either way, Harry was going to know Theo's by the end of the day. The train's whistle sounded and the last couple of stragglers got on before the train started moving. Both boys watched as parents and family members waved the train off, both spotting the person who brought them to the platform.

Tombs gave Harry a little wave that he returned. Harry was going to miss the man, although his morning grumpiness wouldn't be missed beyond the occasional laugh. Cantankerus Nott spotted his grandson, but continued to look grim faced. Theo knew that his grandfather wishes for him to make connections with other approved pureblood families, but for the life of him Theo didn't want to follow his family in their hate. Unlike the rest of them, he didn't have a problem with half-bloods that knew wizarding traditions and muggleborn and raised wizards who were willing to learn. Theo looked at his companion.

He could tell that Harry didn't know all of the British pureblood customs, but maybe they could help each other. Theo would be able to help with that in exchange of his protection as a half-blood. Everyone knew the Nott name, and if they weren't they were quickly informed. If he was known to be friends with a half-blood, then he wouldn't be hexed by the those who didn't align themselves with You-Know-Who. The only thing downside was watching out for those that did support You-Know-Who. His father didn't bribe or claim Imperius when his trial came up, so they were told to stay away at best and torment at worse. Merlin he hoped that his plan worked before anything serious happened.

Little did Theo know that the companion was more than a half-blood. He would be surprised with everyone else when Harry Potter's name was called.

00000 One hour before Hogwarts 00000

Theo and Harry were in their compartment reading the books that they brought. After talking and getting to know each other for half of the trip, they were interrupted by the trolley lady bringing in treats. They each brought two of everything to tide them over until reaching Hogwarts. Harry figured that he liked the miniature treacle tarts, blood pops, acid bombs, and chocoballs the best. The chocolate frogs, wands and every flavor beans were good as well, except for some of the beans. Whoever choose to have one taste like dirt or snot had a very sick sense of humor. Theo on the other hand seemed to like the blood pops as well, and everything remotely having to do with chocolate. Harry couldn't help arching an eyebrow while watching Theo inhale down his hall. At this point, Harry didn't see a pureblood heir, he saw a regular eleven year old boy with a chocolate obsession.

After their sugar rush, they continued the trip by playing games. It was the first time Harry played any of these games, which he was able to explain away with not having anyone his age to play with. After their third game of gobstones, which Harry won two of, the settled into reading some of the books that they brought. Theo seemed to be reading a history book while Harry decided to read Hogwarts: A History. It was interesting, if a little dry, when both boys were brought out of the readings by their compartment door being forced open and a bushy haired girl poking her head in.

"Have you seen a toad? Neville here lost his and we're looking for him." The girl said it all in one breath while motioning to Neville. Looking past her, they saw a slightly pudgy and baby faced boy that stood nervously, and if a little apologetic, behind his companion.

Theo and Harry looked at each other in surprise before turning back to the newcomer. Before either of them could give a response, the girl spotted the books they were reading and seemed to think that was an invitation.

"Oh, wow. I saw that history book when I went book shopping, but couldn't get it because it cost so much. I was so disappointed but my mother said that they might be able to buy it if I really wanted it and did my entire chore list when I came home for the summer. I almost can't wait, but I'm still excited about coming to Hogwarts and learning everything and looking at the library it has. It's a shame that it's the only public wizarding library, but it must mean that it has some really good books at school. Oh, you're reading Hogwarts: A History? I read that book three times already. It is so interesting that I couldn't put it down. I've read all my school books as well and can't wait until we do the spells in them. Oh, where are my manners? My name is Hermione Granger. What are your names?"

Both boys were shocked and even Neville seemed a little surprised. No one thought that someone could be so rude and it seemed the Hermione didn't realize the number of pho-pas she committed in under a minute. Theo was the one who found his voice first and leveled Hermione with a glare that was quite impressive for an eleven year old. Harry was going to ask Theo to teach him that for future use.

"Ms. Granger, I don't know what your parents teach you, but here with civilized people we knock before entering a compartment. We could have been changing into our robes for all you know before barging into our compartment." Hermione seemed to realize that she made a mistake, but her humiliation wasn't done yet and by the end of Theo's 'rant' she would be pale and trying not to cry because of embarrassment.

"Not only that, but you come in here firing questions like you own the place and not allowing us to get a word in edge wise. And by the look of your companion's face, you probably didn't even ask him if he wanted your help, just forced yourself on him while dragging him around the train. And to add insult to injury, you plop yourself here like we are good friends and start chatting away before you remember some semblance of culture and introduce yourself.

"I reckon that you should look up manners while you're in the library if you want to last while you're here. I have a feeling that your fellow Muggle raised students would find your social skills and manners lacking to say anything else. Now, if there isn't anything else that you can insult us with, you may leave." Hermione eyes watered while she continued to pale before running out of the compartment, almost running into Neville. They watched her go before they turned to each other.

Harry decided that he should be the one to break the silence this time.

"Neville, is it?" Neville nodded his head while shifting from foot to foot. "Why don't you come in and take a seat for a moment?"

Neville seemed to hesitate for a moment before moving into the compartment and closing the door. Harry smiled at him before introducing himself.

"Hello, I'm Harry Pitch, and my sharp tongue friend here is Theodore Nott."

"Nott?" Neville seemed to become even more nervous. Theo on the other hand seemed to have gotten an even icier look on his face before turning away. After spending so much time with Harry, he forgot that just about everyone else would be judging him because of his family name.

"Yes, Nott, but don't let that fool you. He's very nice once you get past his wit." Theo looked almost insulted and that seemed to have eased Neville a little bit before his attention was brought back to the situation at hand.

"My name is Neville Longbottom. Sorry about earlier. I was just looking for Trevor, my toad, and when I asked Hermione, she automatically tagged along. You guys were the fifth compartment that we came across and I have a feeling that she didn't impress the other occupants as well." That got a snort out of Theo.

"If she barged in with them like she did with us, then I'm not surprised. She's lucky that she didn't come across anyone changing."

"Or snogging for that matter." Harry grinned as Theo let out a laugh before getting a hold of himself. Neville even let out a little chuckle.

"How about me a Theo change into our robes and see if one of the older years can summon Trevor, or at least know how to track a toad." Neville smiled at that while Theo cocked an eyebrow at being volunteered for this little treasure hunt. Harry gave Theo his newly discovered puppy dog eyes that made Theo huff in fake annoyance.

"Might as well. It's not like I won't have time to finish my book." Theo and Harry changed into their robes before all three boys left the compartment.

They made sure to avoid the compartments already visited before, and managed to find some 5th year Hufflepuffs that were able to help them summon Neville's missing toad. Harry made sure that Neville joined them in their compartment for the last leg of the ride. They just got settled before they heard a knock on the door. Theo seemed to become the initial spoke person for the group and allowed the person entry. When the door opened, a red hair boy, although not as red as the Weasleys, poked his head inside. He had wire rimmed glasses on, a slightly pinched face and had a badge with a 'P' on it.

"We're almost at Hogwarts so… "Whatever the boy was going to say died on his lips when he noticed that everyone were already in their robes. "Oh, good, you're already changed. That's good. Remember to leave all your bags here. The house elves will put them in the right dorms after you get sorted." Just as quickly he came he was gone.

"Does anyone know what just happened?" Harry looked confusingly at the door. Theo answered for Harry.

"Whoever he was is a Perfect by the badge he was wearing. There are two from every house from every year 5th year and up. There is also a Head Boy and Head Girl that who is in charge of the Perfects. They are probably going around the train to make sure everyone is prepared for our arrival to the Hogwarts' platform."

"Okay, next question. Does anyone know how the sorting goes?" Neville seemed to take the next question.

"No. That is kept secret, although many of the upper-years that have siblings or other family members coming this year usually tell them stories to scare them a little." Theo nodded his head before their compartment door was forced open again the second time today.

The person standing there was a red headed boy around their age with worn robes that seemed to be put on in haste and a smug on his nose. Harry recognized him from the large redheaded family from the platform earlier. Harry was brought out of his assessment by the visitors demanding tone.

"Hey, have any one of you seen Harry Potter? I've been looking for him but haven't come across him yet." Harry was slightly insulted by his demanding tone and decided to see why he was so interested in looking for him, without revealing that he was Harry Potter.

"And why would you be looking for Harry Potter? It must not be important since it took you the entire day to make it to this edge of the train." Theo smirked while Neville seemed to try to disappear into the bench. Ron on the other hand seemed to be trying to imitate the color of his hair. Harry wasn't sure if it was because he was angry or embarrassed.

"I got distracted. Not to mention I was going to offer him friendship so he can know who to hang out with. Weasleys are a known light family that can help guide him. That way he wouldn't have to spend time with Death Eaters in training." Ron jerked his head towards Theo before turning his attention towards Neville.

"I'm surprised to see you in here Longbottom with this scum, but I guess someone has to keep an eye on the Slytherins." Both Theo and Neville flushed at Weasleys' words, but Harry reddened in anger. During the short time in knowing the both of them, Harry thought of them as his friends and got really protective of them.

"You have a lot of nerve calling someone scum when you barge in here like a brute and demand answers in one breath and then start insulting people in the next. I would not be surprised if Mr. Potter declined your friendship since it seems you would dictate who he needs to associate with like a toddler. Maybe you should review your manners before going to another compartment. How you haven't been hexed yet is beyond me, unless your tiring search has caused your tongue to run away with you. A little piece of advice if you do happen to find Harry Potter, look into a mirror and whip off your face." Theo snickered at this and Neville looked like he was trying to decide between continuing to hide or laughing. Ron on the other hand was looking like a lobster with how red he is. Harry wanted to deliver the final word so made his way over to the door.

"Now, if you don't mind, some of us home-trained wizards would like to continue our trip in piece. And do straighten your robes out. It looks like you've never dressed yourself in daylight." Harry slammed the door in his face and locked the door before turning towards his companions. "Don't know why we didn't lock this door to begin with." Harry smirked before dropping back into his seat. Theo and Neville smiled back at him. Neville was the first one to break the silence.

"I don't think that you're a Death Eater in training. And I don't have anything against Slytherins." Theo nodded in thanks.

"I figured that someone was going to say something about my father. My grandfather and his Sacred 28 book doesn't help either." Theo scowled at that.

Living with his grandfather was no easy task, especially since he wasn't named the heir at the moment. His second cousin has been trying to get into his grandfather's good graces ever since he realized this. The fact that he's already graduated and making a name for himself as a gentleman's club owner was infuriating to Theo. Not to mention that his grandfather telling him point blank that if Theo didn't impress him this year than his cousin was getting the heir ring, ignoring the fact that his cousin couldn't stop himself from gambling and sleeping around. If someone didn't kill the idiot because of his debts, then it would because he couldn't keep his pants up.

"Theo?" Harry's voice brought him out of his dark thoughts. Harry and Neville were looking at him in concern. Theo flushed before ducking his head.

"Sorry. It's just that I'm already judged because of them. I don't even believe in all of this pureblood crap that they sprout. But because we are a dark family and wasn't shy about praising the 'Dark Lord' that I'm automatically a Death Eater in training with loads of dark, evil spells just waiting to use on some muggleborn. I wouldn't do that to anyone, nor am I evil for having dark magic." Theo huffed before blushing when he realized that he unloaded some of his frustrations on his new friends.

Theo was shocked when he felt to different hands on his shoulders. Harry seemed to have moved closer to him and Neville stood across from him with a reassuring smile. It seemed that he was going to get over his shyness that Theo noticed before.

"I understand being seen as something that you're not. My gran sees me as my dad, no matter that he's been in St. Mungo's since I was a toddler. She only took me to get my wand recently because of something the Board of Governors said during a meeting. Beforehand she was going to make me use my father's, even though it wasn't a fit at all. It's completely different, but the same as well. We're both seen as something that we're not. Maybe we can help show everyone else who we really are?" Neville seemed to become shier by the end of his speech, but Harry nodded his head in agreement.

"I'll help too. I have a feeling that we can help each other, no matter what house we end up in." Both boys agreed with Harry. The three of them settled after that to enjoy the rest of the train ride. Little did they know that their pact was going to be put to the test so soon.

000000 Quirrell 000000

Professor Quirrelll sat in his office waiting for the time to head to the Great Hall to great the children. He's been worried because his master wasn't pleased with the news of the Curse Breakers and Warders coming to the school. Not only would they be strengthening the wards around the school, but they would also remove the curse on the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. This might be the only time for him to be within the school to get the stone, but to finish his work against the Potter boy. The only thing that seemed to make him happy was the fact that Dumbledore would be sent to Azkaban. Quirrell had to admit that he was glad as well. Even before he met his Lord, Dumbledore always made him feel uneasy. A hissing voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"Quirrell, it is almosst time for the welcome feasst. Head down now."

"Yes, my Lord."

"And Quirrell, you better get the stone before the Wardersss are finished with their tassksss. They may not be able to do the more powerful wardsss, but they might be able to put up enough to expel me. You would not like that if that happensss." The pain Quirrell felt made sure to reinforce the message.

"Yes, Master." Quirrell managed to stutter.

"Don't stutter! We are not going to get fired because of your incompetence!"

"Yes, Master." Quirrell whimpered because of the pain. They managed to make it to the Great Hall, although some of the other professors commented on his pinched expression. Quirrell managed to alleviate them while almost sighing when Voldemort eased up on the pain. The doors opened and the students walked in to wait for the sorting. It was almost time to look at their enemy.


	8. Sorting

Harry, Theo and Neville enjoyed the rest of the train ride talking with each other about the classes they were looking forward to. Harry found out that Neville enjoyed plants, to the disappointment to his grandmother, and couldn't wait to start Herbology. Potions on the other hand made him nervous because of the damage he's seen when visiting his parents in the hospital. Neville explained to both boys what happened to his parents thanks to the Lastranges and Crouch Jr. Both Harry and Theo expressed their condolences to Neville before going back to the original discussion, to Neville's relief.

Theo on the other hand was looking towards Potions, Transfiguration and eventually Arithmancy. He enjoyed the structure of the classes and wished that he could start Arithmancy sooner than third year. Harry suggested that they look into the Hogwarts' Charter to see if someone could test into a class early. Theo nodded at that before asking Harry what classes he was looking forward to.

Harry admitted that he was looking towards Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Care of Magical Creature and Runes. Harry also told both of them that he was interested in Healing and hoped that a class would be added, or at least have a club for it. Harry was also hoping to test into Care of Magical Creatures and Runes before third year came around, but if not then he was willing to wait. Neville was the first one the broke out of surprised stupor.

"Blimey, Harry. Are you trying to get the most Masteries or something." Harry couldn't help laughing at that.

"No, but I do find those things interesting. As for Masteries, I'm only planning to get ones in DADA, Runes and Healing. Anything else will be a bonus." Theo just shook his head while letting out a chuckle.

"If you don't end up in Ravenclaw then there is something really wrong with the sorting." All three boys laughed at that.

"At least I'll have a number of options. I've read that when we pick our extra classes during third year we have an option to pick three classes instead of the regular two if you're in the top 10% for your year."

"Theo's right. If you don't end up in Ravenclaw I'll be surprised." Harry shrugged his shoulders while the train slowed down.

"Well, we will see soon. It looks like we are pulling into the station." They all looked out of the window to see the station and the town behind it. They couldn't see Hogwarts from the vantage point they had, but they were all excited and nervous in equal measure. They could hear the other students getting ready to disembark while train slowed to a stop.

"I guess we better get going."

"Let's wait a minute so we don't get trampled. Theo is the only one here that isn't hard to see." Neville snickered while Theo huffed.

"It's not my fault that both of you are vertically challenged." Harry and Neville couldn't help laughing and Theo joined after a second. After getting control of themselves they decided to disembark the train. They could see that the older years were heading up a trial to the carriages that they could just see. Before they were about to head after them, they heard a voice boom over them.

"First Years over here! First Years to me please. Is this everyone? Come now, First Years this way!" They turned to the voice and saw a giant man with a wild bird and a lantern calling first years to him. Harry recognized Hagrid, but didn't say anything to his other two friends. It would be hard to explain to them how he knew Hagrid, but then have said man not recognize him. Harry did send a quick prayer up though that Hagrid didn't recognize him. He so didn't want all his and Tombs' planning to go to waste before the sorting. Even though it only meant a couple more minutes of waiting, it was still a couple more minutes of preparing himself for the stares and questions he was bound to get.

"All right everyone, follow me. We are going this way to this school. I'm sure that all of you are going to love this." Harry could tell that everyone was nervous around Hagrid and he couldn't really blame them. If he hadn't met the man himself, Harry was sure that he would be right with them. Harry heard Theo behind him talking to Neville.

"My grandfather says that's the ground keeper that Dumbledore kept around. He's a half-giant that use to be a student here but got expelled when there was a death in the school about 50 years ago. It's said that Hagrid had an acromantula, but grandfather doesn't think that's what killed the girl."

"W-why?" Harry and Theo could hear his nerves, but Harry was intrigued by Theo's tale.

"Grandfather said that her death didn't match. There wasn't a mark on her, no curse residue, nothing at all. Acromantula don't kill that way. Their victims die by the venom they inject or by being eaten alive. Even with the acromantula a couple of months old and small for its kind, it was recovering from some kind of injury and Hagrid swears that he kept the beast contained. That didn't matter to anyone though. He was taking care of a XXXXX beast without telling a professor. He was expelled from Hogwarts and his wand was snapped. If Dumbledore hadn't offered him the groundskeeper position, Hagrid would be on the streets."

"So that means that he was framed to take the fall for whatever really killed the girl?"

"And to whoever was controlling it. Of course not many people care or can do anything for the matter."

"Why?"

"Well, those that believe that he's innocent can't really prove it, or are unwilling to since he's a half-giant that was taking care of something dangerous around students. Everyone else believes that he just lost control of the acromantula and is unwilling to admit it." Neville shivered at that and Harry was tempted to join him. Looking at Hagrid, Harry could tell that the man was no killer, a little intimidating and naïve, but not a killer. Theo and Neville's discussion was ended when they came to the boats.

"Four to a boat everyone. Four to a boat. Careful, don't want you falling in." Theo, Harry and Neville got into a boat and were joined by an Italian boy that was a couple of inches taller than Harry. It took a while before everyone was in a boat. Hagrid had a boat to himself and when he saw that everyone was in a boat took out a pink umbrella. "Forward." The boats moved slowly across the boat and small conversations brook out.

"Hey, Blaise, I thought that your mother was going to send you to a school in Italy?" Theo said looking at the boy across from him.

"She decided that she wanted me to go to the same school as my father. Who are you're friends?" Theo looked embarrassed that he forgot about his companions and quickly started to introduce them.

"Blaise, this is Neville Longbottom and Harry Pitch. Neville, Harry, this is Blaise Zabini. We've known each other since we were kids." Blaise nodded at both of them. Neville seemed even more nervous than meeting Theo and Harry was wondering about that. Blaise seemed to notice this and decided to let Harry in on the 'secret'.

"Longbottom is just nervous because of my mother. She's been married seven times and all but my father has died under suspicious circumstances. The fact that all of my mom's husbands were well off is what makes people so wary around her. Everyone calls her the Black Widow because she can't seem to keep a husband longer than a year." Harry arched his eyebrow at this.

"Interesting. And is there any validity to her nickname or is she just unlucky." Blaise smirked at this.

"I would say unlucky considering that husbands three, four, and six were old." Harry couldn't help but chuckle at him. Harry assumed that the other husbands, excluding Blaise's father, was the reason why Mrs. Zabini was called the Black Widow.

"Well, nice to meet you, Blaise Zabini." Blaise smirked at him before taking his hand.

"Nice to meet you as well, Harry Pitch." Theo snickered at this. Before they could say anything else, Hagrid's voice rang out.

"You should be getting your first look at the school soon." The boats came around a corner and many couldn't help but gasp at the view. An ancient castle came into view. In the darkness of the night, the castle stood out with most of it illuminated. Harry could appreciate them view the castle this way.

"Wicked." Everyone in Harry's boat nodded in agreement.

"Watch your heads! We're entering the school." Harry tore his eyes away from the view in time to see that they were heading towards a cave with some vines hanging in from of it. When they came close to it, Harry and everyone else ducked their heads. It seemed that someone in the other boats didn't follow Hagrid's warning because they all heard a splash and a cry of surprise. Harry turned around in time to see a tentacle drop the boy back into the boat.

"What was that?"

"I think that was the giant squid that lives in the lake. I thought that was a rumor though." Everyone in the boat remained silent at that until they came to the shore. Everyone carefully got out of the boat. The last boat showed that it was Ron Weasley that fell into the boat and Harry had to refrain himself from laughing at him. Theo seemed to be having the same issue if his smile was anything to go by.

"Alright everyone? Then follow me and watch your step. Don't need another one of you to be falling into the lake again. The squid doesn't come this far."

"And I'm not getting wet saving anyone." Theo muttered under his breath. Blaise snorted at this while Neville and Harry smiled. They all moved up the stairs to a big iron door. Hagrid nocked on the door. The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Harry's first thought was that she was not someone to cross.

"Any problem, Hagrid?"

"One of the first years fell into the lake but other than that everything went well, Professor McGongall." She nodded her head before turning her attention to the students.

"Come in please." McGongall moved aside and the students came past her. When she saw Ron she took out her wand and silently dried him. She nodded at her work before turning to Hagrid again. "You can go to the Great Hall now, Hagrid. The other students should be arriving soon." Hagrid nodded at this before leaving.

"Please follow me students." McGongall lead them away from the doors Hagrid went though and instead lead them to a classroom across the hall. "Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be Sorted into your houses. The houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has their own unique history and honor. Please wait here until I return. I would suggest that some of you use that time to straighten yourselves out." With that she turned around and left the room. McGongall barely closed the door before a blond haired boy spoke up.

"It looks like Weasley already did that when he took a bath in the lake." Some of the students laughed while Ron seemed to get red in anger. "I guess he wanted to impress Harry Potter when he came to Hogwarts." There was a lot of murmuring at the mention of Harry's name and he had to refrain himself from reacting to it. Harry was unable to hide his surprise when Theo spoke up though.

"It seems that Potter wasn't on the train though. Weasley over there spent the entire train ride searching for him. Although I'm still not sure how hard he searched for him." Draco snorted at this before adopting a more haughty look.

"Not surprising considering he's been forced to be under the goblins' protection. I'm sure that he's already at the school to make sure he's safe. It's not like he can be among rift-raft like the rest of you lot." This time Ron wasn't the only one glaring angrily at Draco. Harry was the one to speak next.

"And who are you to be calling us rift-raft?"

"Pfft. I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy of the Most Ancient house of Malfoy. And what of you?" Before Harry could answer, there was a scream from the back of the room. Everyone turned around to see ghost coming through the wall discussing heatedly about someone by the name of Peeves. The ghost didn't seem to notice them until the one who seemed to be a monk noticed them.

"Oh, what are all of you doing here?" There was silence until a knight spoke up.

"They must be here for their Sorting, my dear Friar. I am Sir Nicolas de Mimsy-Porpington, the Gryffindor ghost. Hope to see some of you there."

"Well, I hope to see some of you in my old house Hufflepuff." He let out a laugh that seemed the shake his large stomach. Anything further was interrupted by McGongall returning to the room.

"That is enough of that. You can all move along to the Great Hall." McGongall shooed the ghost along, although they went through the wall instead of the door. She let out a huff before turning her attention back to the students. "It is now time for you to follow me into the Great Hall to be Sorted into your houses. Your houses will be like your family. You will live with them, study with them and experience each other's ups and downs. For good behavior and accomplishments you will be awarded points toward the House Cup. Any bad behavior will be a loss of points and further action if needed. Now we are ready for you, so please follow me." McGongall turned and lead the new students into the Great Hall. They came towards tall wooden doors the seemed hard to move, but when McGongall neared them, the doors opened into the Great Hall. The room lived up to its name in Harry's opinion. There were four tables representing the houses full of students with room to spare. On the other side of the entrance was a table on a raised platform that the teachers and other faculty sat at. But the most amazing thing to Harry was the ceiling. Thousands of candles floated in the air, but what got Harry was the charmed ceiling that showed the outside weather. Harry wasn't the only one looking at it and on later thought wondered how none of them tripped over each other.

"I so want to learn how to do that." Harry breathed out and some of his fellow year-mates agreed with him. They all stopped at the front of the room and noticed a stool with an old hat sitting on top of it. The hall quieted down and many of the first years were looking around in confusion while everyone else looked at the hat. Why was soon revealed when a seem in the hat opened up and began to sing.

 _Oh you may not think I'm pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me._

You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
if you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folks use any means  
To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I'm a Thinking Cap!

Everyone started clapping at the song. Harry was impressed and clapped along with everyone else. When the hall calmed down Professor McGongall stepped forward holding a scroll. McGongall picked up the hat once she got to it and turned to the waiting first years.

"When I call your name, please come sit to be Sorted. Abbott, Hannah!" A blonde girl with pig-tails walked up and sat on the stole. McGongall sat the hat on her head. Barely a minute later had the hat shouted.

" _HUFFLEPUFF!"_ The mentioned table erupted in cheers. McGongall took the hat off of her and Hannah went to the Hufflepuff table. On the way her robes got yellow and black trimming along with her tie. McGongall looked at her list again and read another name. Harry paid attention to the names and which house they went to but paid special attention to the sorting when it got near the 'L's.

"Longbottom, Neville!" Neville walked up to and sat down. He was nervous, but calmed down a little when he saw Harry smile at him before he saw the inside of a hat.

" _Ahh, Neville Longbottom. An interesting Sort. I see bravery and daring lurking in you, but you aren't afraid to get the job done with hard work, but you are also loyal to those you consider your friend. So which house should I put you into? Hufflepuff or Gryffindor? Hmm, yes I can see which house will be best for you. One you will just blend in with, but the other will bring out your buried strength. So it better be GRYFFINDOR!"_ Neville was so excited to be in the same house as his parents that he forgot to wait until the Sorting Hat was taken off. He had to jog back and hand McGongall the hat back. Neville would have sworn he saw her lips quirk. Neville smiled back before heading to the far left table that held the Gryffindor table. He heard some people laughing at his and took a quick glance at Harry and Theo who were actually one of the few still clapping for him, although he could tell that they were laughing good naturally instead of at like many other students. Taking a seat, Neville turned his attention back to the Sorting. Both Harry and Theo would be Sorted shortly after him and was wondering which house they would go to.

"Malfoy, Draco!" Draco walked up like he owned the place, but to other people it looked like he had an uncomfortable rash. McGongall lowered the Sorting Hat and didn't even wait to be placed on Draco's head before making a decision.

" _SLYTHERIN!"_ Draco smirked and walked to the far right table holding the Slytherins. Any other house was below the Malfoy name to him. Harry was seriously considering asking the Sorting Hat to be placed in any house than Draco. Harry could already tell that Draco would be a royal prat to anyone who stood up to him. Harry was brought out of his thoughts when he heard Theo's name being called.

" _Ahh, Theo Nott. A great deal to prove to everyone. You are differently not like your grandfather and father. You will do great things because of that. The house that you will bring great honor to better be SLYTHERIN!"_ Theo had to remind himself not to smile at the Hat's words. It was good to have the reaffirmation that he could be better than his family. Theo sat at the table to see where Harry would end up. He may have joked about him going into Ravenclaw, but Theo really hoped that Harry was with him in Slytherin. Two other people were called up before McGongall got the 'P's. The name that she called first was a surprise to him, as well as who walked to the stool.

"Potter, Harry!" Harry took a breath and started forward. Hopefully, his new friends wouldn't be angry with him for not revealing himself sooner, but hopefully they would understand. By the time he got to the stairs before the platform, the last of the glamor fell away. The entire school let out a gasp of shock. The entire hall when completely silent and when he turned around, he saw the entire hall looking at him before his vision was covered by the Sorting Hat.

" _Mr. Potter. Not even in the school and you are already making a splash."_

"Sorry?" Harry heard a chuckle before the voice came back.

" _Don't be sorry child. I never really liked what Dumbledore had in mind and that was when he was just he Deputy Head. That man had too much power over the last Headmaster, that helped to bring the quality of this school down. Thanks to you, Hogwarts might have a chance in the coming time. But we are not here to talk about that, we are here to see which house will be best for you. So let me see. Hmmm. You have a lot of bravery in you, but Gryffindor is a little too shallow for you at the moment. But there are those in that house that will stand by you no matter what, like Longbottom and the Weasley twins. I would watch those little devils if I were you though. They are snakes hiding in lion's clothing. Moving on, you have a good since of loyalty and hard work, but only to those who prove it to you, so Hufflepuff is out, but do get to know them please. Have them behind you now will go a long way in the future. Madam Bones was a Hufflepuff, so don't underestimate them like many do. Hmm, let's see. Oh, yes, a great thirst for knowledge you have. You would do very well in Ravenclaw, but you equally have the thirst to prove yourself and to rise above your upbringing. So where to place you? Where to place you indeed?"_

"Where ever I would do best in."

" _Then it better be SLYTHERIN! Good luck, you're going to need it in the snake pit. Good thing you can speak in their tongue."_ Harry heard the Sorting Hat chuckle while it was removed from his head. Harry blinked because of the sudden light before noticing that most of the student body had their mouths hanging open in shock. Harry was brought out of his stupor when he heard someone at the Slytherin table clapping. Harry turned his head and saw Theo clapping with a smirk on his face. Neville over at the Gryffindor table was the second one to clap, too much surprise of the other Gryffindors. Harry nodded to him in thanks before heading over to Theo. The rest of the hall started clapping, but it was clear by the whispering that many were surprised that Harry Potter was in the house of snakes. The rest of the sorting went on, ending with Blaise Zabini being sorted into Slytherin and sitting on the other side of Harry. McGongall took the Hat and stool to the side of the staff table before taking her seat as well. It was then that the new Headmistress stood up.

"Welcome all, old and new. As many of you know, the Board of Governors have appointed me as the new Headmistress of Hogwarts. My name is Doris Irlam and I have a muggle Masters in childhood education and wizarding Masters in Herbology and History of Magic. I am here to not only help the school become what it once was, but to also help you become the best that you can be. To that in, my door is open to you all. My open office hours are posted on each of your houses' notice boards. Any other time you can alert the gargoyle and it will notify me. If I am able to meet with you the gargoyle will move aside, but if not it will tell you how long you have to wait or you can leave a message with the gargoyle and it will give me the message as soon as I'm free." Doris paused for all of this to sink in, especially for the older years since the headmaster usually wasn't seen or open to them. They all went silent again when Doris started talking again.

"I am not the only new face that you'll see here. I would like for all of you to give a warm welcome to High Inquisitor Tiffany Bloomingham." Tiffany stood up to polite clapping. Many suspicious or curious faces looked up at her and she knew that she would have her work cut out for her and Doris. There were still a lot of families still behind Dumbledore, no matter what the Daily Profit has been reporting over the last week. She almost let out a sigh but held it in. The kids couldn't get the wrong impression of her now.

"Thank you Headmistress Irlam. I am glad to be meeting all of you as well. You will be seeing me in some of your classes to see how they are structured and if any change is needed. I will also be talking to some of you to see what you think about the school, your classes, professors and many other things to make your stay here at Hogwarts even better. If you are uncomfortable talking to me, there will be an anonymous suggestion box in all of your common rooms. Thank you all." With a nod to Doris, Tiffany took her seat.

"Thank you Inquisitor Bloomingham. The final announcements of the night is to remind everyone that the Forbidden Forest is just that, Forbidden. The only ones able to enter are fifth years and above with a staff member present. There are a lot of dangerous creatures in the forest that will attack and/or eat you, so please follow this rule above all others for your safety. Hogwarts' caregiver, Argus Filch, has a list of banned objects that will cost you ten points if found on you or your belongings and twenty points if they are used. A list is posted in your common rooms and Filch had the list posted by his office. Also, during the next two weeks, Healers will be coming to Hogwarts to give you all fiscals for the year. This is to insure that everyone has had the required shots and to reveal any health issues. This is a practice that has stopped thanks to our last two headmasters that is returning from now on. Amongst Healers, we will also be hosting Warders and Curse Breakers for a time being. They will be here reviewing and strengthening Hogwarts wards as best they can before the summer holidays. Now that's out of the way, please enjoy the welcoming feast." All the tables were covered with food that they strained under the weight. Doris took her seat to look over the students' amazement at the food and descend into excited talks while sneaking glances at the staff table. McGongall voice turned her attention back to the staff table.

"The Sorting was a little bit of a surprise." McGongall looked over at the Slytherin table before going to Snape.

"Not necessarily considering many of the abused kids comes to my house, although most aren't as well-known as Mr. Potter. I will have to keep an extra eye on him though. I have a feeling that some of the older years might give him problems depending on their family's standing during the war." Everyone nodded at that.

"That poor boy. I have no idea why Dumbledore left him with those people without making sure he was alright."

"I know, Poppy, but we won't know that until Dumbledore's trial this weekend. We should probably see which one of us is going to the trial and who is staying here to distract the students from the trial."

"I'll also be checking for when the Dursley's are going to trial. We might find out why they thought it was okay to abuse a child. Unfortunately the muggle court system is a little slower than ours at the best of the times." Snape's words caught the staff attention in surprise. Many didn't think about the Dursleys except to think of ways to do them bodily harm.

"Well, whatever punishment they get is not enough. To think that they abuse a child like that." Filius Flitwick reminded everyone of his goblin ancestry before getting control of his features. He didn't want to scare any of the students. "I'm just glad that we are getting the rest of the students looked at. This will be good to make sure that no one else slipped through the cracks and alert the Ministry."

"My thoughts exactly, Filius, not to mention that many muggleborns don't know about the shots that they are supposed to get before coming here. I'm also hoping to get Poppy some help in the Hospital Wing. One Healer for the amount of students we have is insane. Severus, I would also like to talk to you later tonight about getting you help with your potions for the school. Maybe some of you fifth thru seventh years could help you with the more common potions that are used." Severus was surprised, not that you could tell, and nodded his head in agreement.

"I will come after talking to my house."

"Good. Now, let's enjoy the rest of the feast. I have a feeling that this week is going to be trying more than usual for everyone."

000000 Slytherin Table 000000

Theo turned to Harry the moment the hall filled with the other students' voices. He couldn't believe the boy he met on the train was the Boy-Who-Lived. Theo thought that out of everyone, Harry Potter would hate his guts because his father was a part of the Death Eaters. Theo hoped that he wasn't being plaid because he really thought he made a friend, besides Blaise and Neville. Before he could say anything, Blaise beat him to the punch.

"That is a great entry you made. I have a feeling that no one else knew that you were coming here in disguise?"

"No. It was a security feature until I got to the Sorting, but that doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy spending time with you guys."

"Really?" Theo couldn't help the insecurity leaking into his voice, but he couldn't help it.

"Yeah, I wanted to make sure that the people I met really liked me for me and not because of my name. I hope you'll still be my friend?"

"I would like that, but my father…"

"Is your father, not you. You didn't want me or Neville to judge you because you're a Nott, well I don't want you to judge me because my last name changed from Pitch to Potter." Theo looked surprised before nodding. Harry smiled at that before turning back to Blaise. "How about you, Blaise?"

"Sure. It seems that you'll be entertaining at the least." Harry couldn't help but laugh at that before starting to load his plate. Theo and Blaise followed his lead as well. Theo felt a lot better now, and his earlier plan on safety was assured. Now he only had to watch those that agreed with Voldemort and some of the Light who thought he slipped Harry something. Blaise on the other hand hoped that Harry was telling the truth about not judging someone because of their parents. He loved him mother, but her ability to have seven husbands in six years causes many to believe that she killed them all. Sure some of them died prematurely, but that didn't mean she was evil since most of them supported Voldemort financially during the war. But that didn't matter to people and many looked at him like he would kill them with a look. Some people didn't even accept a glass of water from him fearing that he was following in his mother's footsteps. Either way, hanging out with Potter will be an interesting experience.

Harry was happy that he was able to clear everything up with Theo, and to a lesser extent, Blaise. Now he just had to talk to Neville to see if they were still friends and he would be able to relax. For right now though, Harry was going to enjoy the feast and see if he could get to know some of his housemates. Before he could do that, Harry took out a small box that held the potions he needed to take twice a day. A number of his housemates noticed but didn't say anything, but it seemed Malfoy wanted to get back at Harry for standing up to him. It didn't matter to him that his parents said to be nice to him, no one embarrassed him like that.

"What's wrong, Potter, the food not good enough for you?" Everyone near Draco turned to him in disbelief. Everyone knew that his relatives starved him. It wasn't that hard to figure out that he had to take some potions to correct what they did to him. It seemed that Draco wasn't paying any attention to them though. If he did then he would have realized that his chances of becoming Slytherin Prince, and eventually King, were going down the drain.

"No, Malfoy, although I'm guessing that you live under a rock since it seems that everyone else expected me to be taking potions to correct what my 'loving' family did to me. From the way you were trying to saunter around the room, I thought that wasn't the case, unless reading those big words in the newspaper is too hard for you?" Harry arched his eyebrow at him while many of the other students were either snickering at Draco or outright laughing at him. Draco's cheeks pinked in embarrassment and ducked him head. He made the smartest move and kept silent for the rest of the meal. Harry smirked before chugging his potions. He knew that they were to help him, but it didn't take away from the fact that they tasted like used socks.

00000 Neville at Gryffindor Table 00000

Neville sat at the Gryffindor table being bombarded by his new housemates. He was feeling a little overwhelmed and he understood why Harry decided to hide his identity. If people were acting this bad now, Neville couldn't imagine having to deal with it on the train. Not to mention the looks Harry shot to him after their Sortings. Neville was going to talk to Harry either tonight or in the morning before breakfast. But first, he had to deal with his nosy housemates. Little did Neville know, this was the first step in bringing out his inner courage and bravery.

000000 Slytherin Common Room 000000

The fifth year Perfects lead the first years into the Slytherin Common Room. They made sure to point out all of the markers that lead to the hidden entrance. The Perfects stopped in front of an alcove that had a snake eating its tail in the corner.

"This is the entrance to the Slytherin common room. Every month there is a new password. Make sure that you remember it, because there are those who would love to get into our common room to prank us."

"Also, under no circumstances is there to be a non-Slytherin in our common room. It doesn't matter if the person is your sibling, cousin, whatever, they are not allowed in here. Anyone breaking this rule will be dealing with our Head of House Professor Snape, and let me tell you, he is not one to be trifled with. Now, to our common room. Dittany."

The bricks sunk back into the wall before sliding to the right. The first years couldn't help but to be awed by the common room. The furniture was in dark woods covered in either black leather or different shades of dark green cloth. There were silver pillows on the chairs and coaches to lighten the room up. One of the walls was glass showing the Black Lake they came across earlier. Harry swore he actually saw a part of the squad glide by the window. Even though the room was dark, it had a comfortable feel about it, especially with the burning fireplaces around the room. The Perfects lined the first years in front of the main fireplace were the other years were already waiting. When everyone was situated, the Perfects went to their spots.

"Welcome to the Slytherin house." Severus Snape walked out from the hidden entrance when he was sure everyone was situated. He had to reframe from smirking by the jumpy students. It was his few amusements when dealing with hormonal teenagers. "This is the house of the cunning and ambitious, meaning that I insure none of you fail any of your classes. It also means that many of those in the other houses will hate us automatically because you were sorted here. That means that outside these walls we are a united front. Any arguments or disagreements are kept within the common room and no matter what, we stick together and help each other. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir." Severus gave a sharp nod.

"Breakfast starts at 7am and stops at 9:30am. You will be there by 8:30am at the latest on weekdays and 9:00am on weekends. I will not see any of you rushing and scarfing your food like a bunch of rabid dogs. For the first years, the perfects will then show you to your classes for the first week. After that, you are responsible in getting to your classes on time. You all will get your class schedule tomorrow at breakfast along with the time you are going to see the Healers in the coming two weeks. If you have any questions that you don't feel comfortable with asking a Perfect, then you can come to my office that is connected to my classroom. I will be having meetings with everyone one of you, no matter year, at least once a month. Potter, Morgan, and LeShawn stay behind. The rest of you go to your rooms. It's been a long day and classes start tomorrow." Everyone soon cleared out with the Perfects showing the first years where their dorms were at.

"Potter, you first." Severus led Harry over to a corner of the room away from the other two students in the room. Severus made sure to put up a privacy ward before talking to Harry. "Mr. Potter, I am not sure if you know this, but I am the school's Potions Master. Since that is the case, I have been made aware that you will need some potions brewed to counteract you previous living arrangements. If you plan to be supplied by the school, please inform me sometime this week, along with your potion list, so I can have the right amount set up for you."

"Thank you, sir. I have enough for the week, so I will let you know either way."

"Good. There is something else I need to speak to you about before you are able to retire. I am sure that someone has already informed you about Death Eaters?" At Harry's nod, Severus continued with his speech. "Then I am sure that you realize that some of their children go here as well. I am not warning against all of them, but there will be those that follow their parent's views. Since a majority of them are the upper years, I want you to come to me or another professor if they bother you. For you, Mr. Potter this is a double edge sword. Those in the house will not bother you outside of the common room, but that will not be the case while you are here. You will have to be careful for those that are willing to try anything against you."

"I understand, Professor. Tombs, the wizard the goblins assigned me, taught me some basic spells and wards for when I came here. They are really good and he said most wouldn't know how to fight against them since they are from other countries." Severus couldn't help arching an eyebrow at Harry's excitement and had to stop himself from laughing. He may not be as toxic as before, but he couldn't lose his hard reputation completely.

"That is good to hear. I will let you go to bed then. Go up the stairs and turn left. The girl's rooms are on the other side but there is a charm on the stairs that prevent boys from going up there. The same can be said for the boy's room as well. You will be rooming with the rest of the first years. The fifth year Perfects should still be settling the rest of your year-mates, so I suggest getting up there."

"Thank you, sir. And I will make sure to inform you about my potion supplies." Harry headed towards the stairs before remembering about his weekend plans. "Professor, I have an appointment with the goblins this Saturday and there is a possibility that I will be required for Dumbledore's trial on Sunday." Severus nodded at him before sending Harry off. Severus watched him go before turning to the other students left behind. Unfortunately, Harry wasn't the only student he would be possibly be brewing for, not to mention the meeting with the Headmistress he had after this. Adding to whatever issues they found out in the coming weeks, this was one of those times when Severus wondered how Dumbledore talked him into being a Head of House.

00000 Severus, Great Hall, Breakfast 00000

Severus watched as the first years were brought in by the Perfects. He paid special attention to Harry and a number of other students. It seems that everything was alright, but that didn't ease his worries. The next two weeks were going to be the most turbulent time in Slytherin. He couldn't announce it on the first day, but during the second weekend of the month, there was a tournament to determine the ranking of the House.

The top Slytherin in each year is named 'Prince' and controls their respective year and those below them without question. That didn't mean that there weren't challenges, but even then, there were only so many challenges to a Prince's rule a month to prevent them from being overwhelmed. But still, all seven Princes would come together to manage the Slytherin house and set the tone for the year. The only time that this wasn't the case was when a 'King' was appointed. The Slytherin King had to be a current Prince for at least three months, a feet at times, and had to be voted in by at least four other Princes and at least three-fourths of the Slytherin house. The last time that happened it was when Tom Riddle was a student. Severus almost shuddered at the thought. He always wondered how someone so demented could fool the house of the cunning and ambitious. Severus shook himself out of the past a focused on the following weeks.

Severus was going to announce the tournament the Friday before the tournament. The upper years would already be preparing for it, first years were the ones that Severus was slightly worried for. Most of them didn't know that many spells, but for those that did… well there was always the possibility that they were taught something they had no business being taught, Dark family or not. There was two in first year that worried him the most though.

Severus' gaze slid over to his godson. Draco seemed a little down, but Severus chalked that up to finally meeting someone who would stand up to him. Draco had the making of a true Slytherin, but he had to get over the arrogance and overconfidence that Lucius installed in him. If Draco got rid of those traits and actually thought through everything, and learned some useful spells, Severus was sure that Draco could become a Prince by third year. If not, the minute Lucius lost any standing, Draco would be on his own without the threat his father had on other families. The only good thing is that both the Goyle and Crabbe families owed the Malfoy family several life debts. They would protect Draco until the family was able to pay back the debts, which would take time considering the amount of debts owed.

Severus moved his gazed over to Harry Potter. He was happily chatting with Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini. Severus was surprised at the matchup, as well as the friendship with Longbottom. Severus caught the tail end of their conversation earlier today. Harry reassured Longbottom that all four of them would remain friends, no matter what house they were in. Hopefully they would have better luck than what he and Lily had. But for now, the more pressing issue was the tournament. He doubted that Harry was going to make himself a Prince, but if he didn't align himself with one within the next two weeks, Severus would have a harder time protecting him. Severus held in his sigh before getting up to pass out the schedules since the kids had classes today along with their Healer appointment. Many he would suggest waiting until the second week so the students and teachers could get use to school life. Merlin knows that getting use to the noise after spending time away from the students is an adjustment in itself.

Slytherin First Year Schedule

Breakfast is from 7:00am-9:30am & Dinner is from 6:00pm-8pm every day. Both meals are mandatory.

 **Monday**

9:45am-10:45am History of Magic

11:00am-12:00pm Defense Against the Dark Arts

12:00pm-1:00pm Lunch

1:15pm-2:15pm Transfiguration

2:30pm-3:30pm Charms

 **Tuesday**

9:45am-10:45am Herbology

11:am-12:00pm Defense Against the Dark Arts

12:00pm-1:00pm Lunch

1:15pm-2:15pm Transfiguration

2:30pm-3:30pm Charms

 **Wednesday**

9:45am-10:45am History of Magic

11:00am-12:00pm Defense Against the Dark Arts

12:00pm-1:00pm Lunch

1:15pm-2:15pm Transfiguration

2:30pm-3:30pm Charms

12:00am-1:00am Astronomy

 **Thursday**

9:45am-10:45am History of Magic

11:00am-12:00pm Defense Against the Dark Arts

12:00pm-1:00pm Lunch

1:15pm-2:15pm Transfiguration

2:30pm-3:15pm Charms

3:30pm-4:00pm Flying

 **Friday**

9:45am-12pm Potions

 **Happy Mother's Day.**


	9. Week of Classes

00000 Petunia Dursley, Visitation Area 00000

Today was the first day that Petunia Dursley was going to be meeting her lawyer. Hopefully she would be able to get her and Vernon out of this mess. Then they could get Dudley from Marge and be a happy family again. And this time they weren't going to let that 'freak' into their lives, no matter what anyone else said. They would have to move to a new neighborhood of course, but that wasn't too bad. They were good, normal people that can once again be the pillars of any community. Vernon could get another high paying job and her Dudley would go to a top school and be popular again.

Petunia was brought out of her thoughts by the door in the visitor section opening. She could see many families visiting their wives, mothers, daughters, or sisters, and Petunia was glad that Dudley and Vernon didn't see her like this. The prison didn't have the beauty products that she was used to. The chair across from Petunia was pulled out and a tall, fit man sat across from her. He had chiseled features that somehow seemed soft at the same time. He had sandy hair that was cut close to his head, but you could tell that it had a little wave to it. Petunia's breath hitched. No one would blame her for thinking that he was a model in any other situation instead of a lawyer.

"Mrs. Dursley I presume. I am Mr. Sandwood and I will be representing you in these proceedings. We will be going over everything concerning your trial happening in November. My associate will also be representing your husband whose trial will be starting at the same time as yours. Your trials were separated to insure fairness. Is there anything you want to ask me before moving onto your defense?"

"Yes. Do you know how my son is doing? Marge said that she won't allow him to even write to us."

Mr. Sandwood arched his eyebrow because of her shrill voice rising and Petunia seemed to realize this when some of the other people in the room turned their focus on her.

Petunia blushed before lowering her voice to a more manageable level. "I just worry about him as well as my husband."

Mr. Sandwood nodded at this. No matter what his personal feelings about her and her husband, he still had a job to do. That included reassuring her so they could move towards the defense they would be using.

"I haven't been able to look into how your son is doing, but I can do that and inform you the next time that I see you. Your husband on the other hand isn't helping himself at the moment. He's already in solitary confinement for starting fights with the other prisoners and guards alike. If he keeps this up, he might not make it to the trial with the amount of enemies he's making with the inmates."

Petunia blanched at this. She knew that Vernon was a hothead at moments, but she thought that he would behave until they got out. Then they could move on and maybe sue the police for this mess. Mr. Sandwood's voice brought Petunia out of her thoughts.

"Now, onto your defense. You are charged with child abuse, child neglect, endangerment of a minor, and bribing of officials."

"Bribing of officials? We've never bribed anyone let alone the other charges. Harry was a troubled child that needed a heavy hand to keep in line."

"Keep in line, or stop his magic from coming out?" Mr. Sandwood said and the shocked look on Petunia's face almost made him laugh, but he was a professional. "Don't look so surprised Mrs. Dursley. You are charged with abusing a magical child. Thankfully for you, you are not going to a wizarding courtroom, but a special court system that has non-magicals that know about magic presiding over your trial. That way _The Statue of Secrecy_ isn't put into danger. There will be a judge and a jury of six that will determine if you are guilty or innocent. If you are found guilty, then it will be determined the amount of time you will spend in jail. Also there would be a spell placed on you to insure that you don't reveal anything about the magical world while you are in there. If you are found innocent, then you will go free, but the spell will be placed on you still. Either way, your nephew will no longer be in the care of you or your husband. Any questions?" Mr. Sandwood waited for Petunia to absorb everything just revealed to her. He was just happy that he didn't have to deal with the husband. From what he heard about him, a saint would commit murder against him.

Petunia Dursleys sat there in shock. She never thought that this was going to happen, but the more she thought about it, the safer she felt. The judge and jury were like her. Normal people sucked into this world against their will. It didn't matter to her that when she first found about the wizarding world she wanted to be a part of it. All she could remember now were her parents fussing over Lily like she was better. Even when she was away, Petunia felt like she was invisible the moment Lily was mentioned. Then to find out that she died and the only thing given to her was an orphaned child and a letter from a man she hadn't talked to since Lily's first year. Not even a letter from Lily saying how sorry she was for ruining her life or turning their parents against her and Vernon. Then her son gets dumped on her without her permission. It didn't matter that they got money for taking care of him. In Petunia's mind, that was what Lily owed her for all the pain she caused during their childhood, not the actual care of her brat. Now Petunia was going to present her case to people who probably had similar stories to hers. They were going to see that what she and Vernon did was for Harry's own good as well as protecting her own son from the same pain she felt.

Never did it cross her mind that not everyone in the court would have the same outlook as her.

00000 Hogwarts - Great Hall – Breakfast 00000

Harry was thankful that Blaise, Theo, and Neville were his friends this past week. Most of the student body decided to either:

Pity him because of his childhood,

Distrust him because he was Sorted into Slytherin,

Hate him for defeating Voldemort,

Or idealize him for defeating Voldemort.

Needless to say, he was going crazy with all the different opinions of himself. Harry felt it even more within his own house, especially those who supported said madman aka The Dark Lord Voldemort. They hadn't tried anything yet, but Harry was waiting for it. Harry decided to focus on the other groups in his house at the moment though.

The second group in his house were those who didn't follow Voldemort either because their families didn't believe in his message or how he went about it. Harry decided to aim for the former in this group if he wanted any chance of not having an accident before second year. He was no fool in thinking that the little tricks Tombs taught him and his Head of House could protect him all the time in the dorms. But having a good portion of his housemates in his corner would definitely help until Harry learned enough to make anyone think twice about going after him.

The third group was the easiest to work with in Harry's opinion. They were the ones that were grateful for Voldemort's fall, but didn't have the creepy, stalker vibe that he was getting from most. Tracy Boot, Milicent Bullstrode, and about fifteen Slytherin upper-years were a part of this group. Harry made fast friends, or acquaintances, with them along with others from different houses.

Outside of his house, Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, and Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff were the easiest of the bunch since they didn't judge him for being a Slytherin. Also his newly found cousin Tonks, aka don't call me by my first name, introduced herself. She seemed pretty cool and her being a metamorphmagus was even cooler. Neville introduced him to Seamus Finnigan as well as Dean Thomas from Gryffindor. They were both from muggleborn families, so they didn't have the same mistrust of Slytherins as many of the upper-years and wizard raised children at Hogwarts. Dean also lived in a rough neighborhood, so he was used to the idea of dealing with abused kids. The only house that Harry hadn't made any progress with was the Ravenclaw House. They seemed to want to wait before making new contacts with people, not to mention a good portion of them seemed to be hostile to anyone interrupting their morning study time. Harry decided to wait until he could find an avenue into the house of the smart.

Now if only he could deal with those who decided to verbally assault him. The main ones were Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy. Ron Weasley seemed to think that it was a personal insult to him that Harry wasn't his best friend, not to mention being Sorted with "the slimy snakes" as Weasley liked to call his house. Draco was on a similar line when Harry refused his friendship and embarrassed him within the house. Harry could already tell that Draco was like a peacock. If everyone wasn't 'oohing' and 'awing' at the plumage, or family name and money, then they were insulted. Draco also didn't like it the Harry talked back to him as well. In Draco's mind he was the head snake _*cough peacock cough*_ and anyone who thought differently was even more beneath him than normal. It didn't help that most of the time Draco was the one looking the fool. If it wasn't for the Slytherin rule to stick together, Harry was sure their interactions would be worse.

"Thinking about escaping again?" Blaise said while smirking at Harry.

"Would it look bad if I said yes?" Harry asked slyly. Theo snorted at that.

"Only if you don't take me with you. If Ron Weasley calls me Death Eater one more time I might oblige him for a moment."

Harry had to laugh at this. For the past week Ron Weasley has been calling Theo a Death Eater in training, Blaise an assassin like his mother, and Harry under some spell for wanting to hang out with either of them. Not to mention what else he was saying about the rest of their Slytherin housemates in general.

"You would think that he would stop by the amount of points taken because of him. Even his brothers don't agree with him concerning me and the rest of the Slytherins." Theo and Blaise nodded at that while Harry was thinking about how he could get close to Fred and George like the hat suggested.

"True, but you boys can bemoan the littlest Weasley's bigotry another time. It's almost time for our first Potions class." Tracy said while finishing the rest of her breakfast.

"Yeah, yeah then, Theo, finish your coffee and, Harry, grab your snack for today. The Prefects are about to take us to class and we don't want to keep them waiting." Blaise said while gathering his bookbag.

"True, Professor Snape isn't one you want to get on the wrong foot with. It's the only thing he has in common with the Gryffindor Head of House." One of the upper years said.

"That and betting on which of their houses is going to win the House and Quidditch Cups, firsties. Now let's get going. I have to go from the dungeons to the Astronomy tower." The Slytherin first years followed after the Prefect, chattering amongst themselves. Harry resumed the conversation they were having while Neville met them at the door.

"I've been looking forward to this class to see how similar it is to cooking."

"Don't you need to tell Professor Snape if he's going to be brewing your potions or not?" Neville asked.

"Yeah, I'm going to tell him after class. I'm going to ask him to brew them. I didn't know he was such an accomplished Potions Master."

"The youngest to get his Mastery. I can't wait to see what he teaches us."

"I can't wait to see who blows up a cauldron first."

"Then you might not want to sit next to me. I'm still pretty nervous about the class even with the extra reading I've done." You could clearly see Neville's nerves and Harry didn't like seeing his friend like this.

"Don't worry, Neville, I'll sit with you."

"You sure, Harry?"

"Yeah. That's what friends are for. We'll help you not blow up anything in Potions and you help us not be eaten by plants in Herbology."

"Professor Sprout said that we don't have to worry about that until forth year." The guys couldn't help laughing when Theo blanched at that.

000000 Potions Classroom 000000

Severus Snape did last minute preparations for his class in his office. Thanks to a monitoring charm, he was also able to keep an eye on the students filling his class. Considering it consisted of the Gryffindors and Slytherins, it was a possibility that they would start to fight each other. Why they were put together before fifth year in his class, Severus couldn't understand it. Hopefully he could convince the Headmistress to redo the classes for next year. Maybe Minerva would like that as well. The both of them would talk * _cough complain cough*_ to each other enough times to know that the only thing keeping the little terrors in line was that both of them had a no nonsense reputations. Letting out a sigh, Severus got the last of his lesson plans before stalking into the classroom. The fact that he did it at the exact time the class started was just a coincidence.

00000

The class jumped as Professor Severus Snape came into the classroom with his robes billowing. Everyone went quiet as they watched him stop at the front of the class. When he started to speak, his quiet and silky voice washed over them.

"You are going to learn the subtle art of potion brewing. Just because there is no silly wand waving doesn't mean that this isn't one of the most dangerous classes that you will be in. Something meant to heal you of pains, regrow your bones, save your lives, can cause you unimaginable pain and suffering and death because you forgot a simple step. So if I see even one of you messing around or not paying attention I will insure that the only time you step into this classroom is when you are scrubbing it clean. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir." Many of the students had slightly scared looks on their faces. Hopefully that would keep many of them from doing something stupid, or at least blowing up a cauldron today. Severus always hoped that it didn't happen, but every year at least three first years would blow up their cauldrons over a simple boil cure potion.

"Good. Now, let us see who opened their textbooks and who is the yearly dunderheads. Every correct answer is five points, but every wrong one will cost you ten. So I suggest you think carefully, for this won't be the first time I start a class off like this. Mr. Thomas, name three nightshade plants." Dean gulped. He had no idea since he hadn't opened any of the books for this class. He did spot Hermione Granger put her hand up to answer the question, but brought his attention back to Professor Snape. If the professor could ignore her, then so could he.

"I don't know, sir."

"Hmm, pity. Ten points from Gryffindor. Ms. Greengrass, do you know the answer?"

"Yes, sir. Three nightshade are the common tomatoes, the boxthorns and wolfberry plants."

"Correct. Five points to Slytherin. Weasley, where would one find a bezoar?"

"I don't know, sir."

"Really? Another unprepared Gryffindor. That will cost your house another ten points. Mr. Potter, do you know the answer?" By this time Hermione was waving her arm, while barely staying in her seat.

"Yes, sir. A bezoar can be found in the stomach of a goat as well as most potion kits."

"Very good, Mr. Potter. Five points to Slytherin again. Now, let's see if Gryffindor can earn some points back. Longbottom, what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

"Monkshood and wolfsbane are the same plant and can go by the name aconite as well."

"Five points to Gryffindor. If you can answer me why they are called by three different names, you might save the rest of your housemates from embarrassment."

"W-well, the plant has three different names because they are harvested at different times, giving the plant three different properties for potions."

"It seems that at least one Gryffindor can open a book. Take another five points, Mr. Longbottom." Neville let a breath out and Harry smiled at him. Their attention was quickly brought back to Professor Snape when he turned his attention to Hermione Granger.

"Granger, do you need to go to the bathroom? No. Then put your arm down before you dislocate it. If you want to show off in this class then make an above average potion, not memorize your books." Hermione blushed in embarrassment while Snape turned back towards the class. "Take out your books. Read the introduction and the first chapter. Pay attention to the Boil Cure Potion because we will be making it today. This is to see where everyone is at skill wise. You will brew this potion individually, but unlike other times you will not be graded. The next class period I will give you back the possible grade you would have gotten as well as comments.

"For future reference, there will be group potions for you to complete. These will not count as a grades, but will count towards class participation for that day. On these days I will also assign an essay afterwards that will help prepare you for the individual potions you will be making. The individual potions on the other hand will count as a grade. All potion work will get a review that will be given to you along with any returned essays.

"Now, you should have enough time to complete the potion today, silently. Begin."

Everyone opened their books and started reading. Thankfully it was short reading material and after thirty minutes most were getting their stations and ingredients set. Harry kept an eye out for Neville and was glad he did. Harry managed to signal Neville when he was about to add the porcupine quills while the potion was still over the fire. Neville gave a grateful look to Harry before turning back to his potion. The class continued in silence before Professor Snape snapped at Ron and Seamus.

"What are you two doing? There is no way this potion should be orange or gray. Not to mention that you were about to add the porcupine quills while the potion was still on the flame." Snape banished the potion with a sneer. "You two can start on a two foot essay focused on what you did, why it was wrong and why it is important to follow directions. If I don't receive it by next glass period you will be doing it in detention until I am satisfied." Both boys were red in embarrassment and anger. "Everyone else, back to work. Unless you want to join them." Everyone quickly got back to work for the rest of the class period.

"You should be finishing with your potions soon. When you are done, bottle your potion and put a stopper on it. You will then write your name clearly or you will get a zero for class participation today. I am a teacher, not a code breaker. I will not accept anything that I can't clearly read. I will return essays to you and deduct five points from your grade for every day late. Once you are done, you are dismissed."


	10. Class Review

00000 Tiffany Bloomingham, Headmistress Office 00000

Tiffany made her way to the Headmaster's office to talk to Doris about the first week of classes. Tiffany managed to sit in every class during the week and while some of the classes would need little to no change, there were others that needed major overhaul. Tiffany just hoped that she and Doris would be able to make swift changes to those that really needed it. Walking past the gargoyle and onto the moving staircase, Tiffany took a fortifying breath before nocking.

"Enter." Tiffany came in to see Doris almost buried under a mound of paperwork. Tiffany had to blink at this before snapping out of her shock.

"I see that you are hard at work, Doris."

"Yes I am. It seems that Dumbledore passed things off onto Professor McGongall that he wasn't supposed to or just ignored it all together. I will probably have to ask the goblins to perform an audit to see just how bad the finances are."

"Is it really that bad?"

"Possibly. It seems that Dumbledore just did enough to keep the school running and the fudged the reports that he sent to Hogwarts's Governors. It's no wonder he said there wasn't any money for certain classes or new equipment since these papers are a mess.

"But that isn't why you came here and the audit is only a possibility if I can't figure out these records. Have you had a chance to report on the classes at least?"

"Yes. I was able to watch an upper year class as well as a lower year class of every subject. It seems that Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Runes, and Arithmancy are doing fine. There are only minor things within each class that I would change."

"That's good to know. What needs to be changed?"

"Well, with Charms, it's getting Professor Fenwick a proper chair and/or stand for his small frame instead a stack of books. He should be able to be seen without having to balance on books. It would be good that a little more theory is covered before he starts them on the levitation charm. One first year Gryffindor blew up his feather because of it.

"For Transfiguration, I would say less theory in the classroom is needed. There isn't that much time for actual practice. That may be fine for the first and second years since the students' cores are still forming, but for the upper years there should be more in class practice so that she could answer questions and help those that are having problem." Doris nodded at this while making notes in her planner to go over later.

"What about Potions? I know that I warned Professor Snape that he couldn't teach in his usual fashion, but I am unsure if he will follow through."

"Well, it seems that he isn't as harsh as before and didn't show his usual favoritism. A sixth year Slytherin tried to sabotage a Hufflepuff's potion in the class I was in. Professor Snape stopped it, deducted 50 points and assigned a month worth of detentions either with himself or the caretaker. It seemed that everyone in the class was surprised, although he did tear into the student a little. I have a feeling that it was necessary so others in his house knows that they are no longer getting away with things."

"Did you happen to look into a first year class?"

"Yes. He was fair with them all. He told them what he expected with the class and made sure that everyone had equal chances of earning points, although it is possible that some Gryffindors will think he was showing favoritism to his own house."

"How so, Tiffany?"

"When he started class, he went around asking questions from the text book. Most of the answers could be found in the first two chapters of the text book. The rest could be found in the first chapter of the Herbology text. Right answers would get you 5 points but wrong ones will cost the student ten points.

"The three Slytherins asked got correct answers while only one of the three Gryffindors managed to get his question right. A Mr. Longbottom if I'm correct."

"So the Slytherins received 15 points while the Gryffindors had 25 points taken away."

"20 points, Doris. Professor Snape gave a bonus question to Mr. Longbottom, although that probably won't matter to them considering his reputation." Doris let out a sigh.

"I was afraid of this. What I'm about to tell you doesn't leave this office for the moment." Tiffany nodded at this while leaning forward. No matter what, Tiffany was still someone who liked good gossip. It was one of the reasons she became an Inquisitor.

"It seemed that Dumbledore order Snape to be... unpleasant to the other houses while favoring his own. The only reason that Snape first agreed was because Dumbledore spoke in favor of Snape being a double agent against You-Know-Who." Tiffany couldn't help but gasp at this.

"I know. When Snape first told me this I was surprised as well. But there's more. In exchange for testifying, Dumbledore ordered Snape to teach potions here. Snape agreed because even he knew that his life was in danger from both sides and being by Dumbledore side was the safest place to be.

"So even though Snape wasn't that excited about teaching, he did."

"Then why would Dumbledore order him to be nasty to ¾ of the school? It doesn't make any since."

"That is the same thing I asked Snape. But I think we both forget what it was like for the Slytherins after You-Know-Who's death. Many in that house was mistrusted at best and attacked at worse. Snape's attitude might have saved many from being severely hurt." Tiffany's eyes widened in understanding.

"So he was protecting his students."

"Yes, he even admitted to me that he thought that after some years he wouldn't need to be so heavy handed to protect his students, but when he went to Dumbledore about it, he was sorely mistaken. Dumbledore ordered him to continue as before or he would withdraw his support."

"And since he was so mean before, everyone would believe Dumbledore and throw Snape in Azkaban." Doris nodded her head and straightened in her seat.

"Right next to Black if Dumbledore had his way. I've already informed Madam Bones and the Hogwarts's Governors about this. That doesn't mean that Professor Snape gets a free pass, but it at least explains his new teaching method." Tiffany nodded at this.

Just to imagine the amount of pull one man had over man people was sickening. Both women had to wonder who else Dumbledore blackmailed into doing things against their will. After a minute of silence, Doris came out of her thoughts. Now was not the time to think about Dumbledore. She still had much to go through not to mention the rest of Tiffany's report.

"Was there anything else in that needed to be changed in Potions, Runes or Arithmancy?" Tiffany started before coming back to the present.

"Oh, yes. It seemed that Potions and Runes could use some updated equipment. Especially for Potions, some extra cauldrons since it seems that several were melted in the first week." Doris nodded while making a note at that. Arithmancy is actually fine. I would suggest that we get Math tutors to help with that portion of the class. Eventually we can add an actual Math class along with the English/Writing course we have planned.

"Now, for Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures and Astronomy are overall good but will need a slight upgrade. Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures will need a permeant class for those days when going outside aren't feasible for the students. That way there isn't a loss of class time when the weather gets bad as well prepares the students better before diving into whatever lesson is scheduled. For Astronomy, I believe that we can use some of the unused classrooms and charm them to show the night shy during the day so the students aren't staying up at all hours of the night then having early morning classes the next day.

"It is unreasonable to force young children to be tired for the Astronomy class as well as whatever classes they have the next day. I have a feeling that it would cut down on a lot of classroom accidents if we have Astronomy in the morning. That way the only reason that Astronomy would be at night is if there was a phenomenon was happening."

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea. Some of the older years have also asked for something like that through the suggestion boxes. I'll have to ask Professor Fenwick if he would be able to do the charms. I'm sure Professor Sinistra would be willing to help as well as get some decent sleep schedule. I will also talk to Professors Sprout and Kettleburn about some class time. That might also help Professor Kettleburn keep the rest of his limbs." Tiffany had to smirk at that.

"Professor Kettleburn was another concern. Don't get me wrong, he is a great teach, but he is getting on in age. I'm sure that in a year or two he would like to retire and enjoy his remaining age and limbs."

"I'll ask him if any of his previous students would be a good replacement. That way they could shadow Professor Kettleburn for a year or two before he decides to retire.

"So that only leaves Divination, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Muggle Studies and History of Magic to deal with if I'm correct."

"Yes. I'll start with DADA first. Professor Quirrell isn't holding the students' attention. Even with this being only the first week, you can already tell that some of the students see the class as a free period and focus on their books for the class. Not to mention that his class is filled with garlic and Quirrell seems afraid of his own shadow. I know he was a great teacher for Muggle Studies, but whatever happened to him in Albania has diminished his ability to teach the students. I believe we should start looking for his replacement for the next semester."

"I was afraid of this. Remind me when the Curse Breakers come next week to have that classroom checked for a curse. The amount of times the teachers for that position leaving maimed or killed isn't a conscience.

"Also, it seems that Dumbledore signed Lockhart to be next DADA teacher. So if you really believe that Quirrell shouldn't be teaching, I'll inform Lockhart that he will be starting in January instead of next September."

Tiffany couldn't help making a face at the thought that Gilderoy Lockhart being a teacher of anything. Many may believe that he did all those things in his books, but if one looked closely then they would have realized that the timeline didn't match up. Not to mention some of the things mentioned in his books was impossible. If a werewolf could be changed back with a spell, then many would find someone to do it for them. But the thought of Quirrell continuing to teach grated her wrong as well. Tiffany wasn't sure why, but being Near Quirrell always gave her the feeling that she should scrub herself clean.

"I'll say that Lockhart is the lesser of two evils if we make sure that he doesn't use the position to boost his book sales. After that we can insure a competent DADA professor is found. Maybe we can ask the goblins if some of their curse breakers nearing the retirement age would be willing to apply."

"That's a good idea, Tiffany. Especially since it will be their Curse Breakers insuring that the position is safe."

"I sat in on Divination yesterday for the third years just coming into that class. To say that I was appalled would be an understatement. Whatever reasoning of hiring that woman was spotty at best."

"How so?" Doris was surprised at the venom Tiffany spoke of the class. If Tiffany was getting this worked up at the mention of Divination, Doris had to wonder how bad the class was.

"Well, not withstanding that you had to climb a latter to get into the classroom, you are immediately assaulted by the strong smell of incense that it almost causes one to gag. The smoke from it also makes the multiple tables, chairs and pillows a tripping hazard. That could be overlooked if it wasn't for the fact that Professor Trelawny shows up to the class drunk. You could smell the whisky on her once you get past the incense. To add insult to injury, she scared the entire class by predicting a child's death. After I followed the students into Charms class, Professor Fenwick told the class that Professor Trelawny always picks a student in every class and predicts their death or some other nasty future. Even then most of the students were still wary, not that I could blame them." Tiffany let out a huff while Doris had a look of horror on her face. Doris quickly snapped out of it though before having a look of determination.

"I will inform the Board that we will need a new Divination teacher immediately and inform Trelawny that she will have to leave by the end of the month. There is no reason for students to be traumatized in class. No wonder Divination is one of the lowest scoring classes we have here. Please tell me that Professor Binns isn't as bad."

"In his own way he is worse. I know you took independent study for you History of Magic Mastery, and for that you should be grateful. It seems that Binns just takes role call and then starts on a goblin war. Most of the students fall asleep in the first ten minutes of the class, but he just keep droning on without stopping to either punish those students or answer any questions. Frankly, if it wasn't for those students that were reading or gossiping with their neighbors, the homework assignment would be missed completely. It's no wonder that you are one of the few who get a Mastery in the subject since Binns continued to teach after he died." Doris closed her eyes to keep herself in place.

"I will take over the History of Magic class until a replacement can be found. Divination will have to become a free period until a new teacher could be found. Considering how the class has become an easy 'O' recently, though that might take a while."

"Doris, I do know someone that might be able to take over Divination. He is an American cousin of mine that has a slight Seer gift. I'm sure if I write to him, he might be willing to take up the position."

"Do it. Please." Doris started rubbing her head in frustration. She almost couldn't believe what Dumbledore left her and the students with.

"I know that you don't want to hear this, but there is also Muggle Studies to go over. Now, Professor Burbag is an excellent teacher by all rights. It's just that the material that she is using is almost two centuries old at least. Not to mention that she has no experience in the Muggle-world that can help those taking the class traverse the Muggle-world without the Obliviators following after them."

"So either we replace her with someone who is able to live in both words or we bring Burbag's lesson plans to the current era?"

"I think that we just need to go over her lesson plans for the moment. We can then take her to the Muggle-world so she can experience it first-hand. If that doesn't help, we can appoint her as our new Wizard Studies class. We shouldn't punish a good teacher like her because Dumbledore didn't insure that she received the right training." Doris let out a sigh.

Doris could already tell that she was going to receive more paperwork with everything she just heard from Tiffany. She knew that she had a lot of work to do, but Doris just couldn't believe that it was this much. It was only the first week of the school for Merlin's sake. With another sigh, Doris focused on Tiffany again with a weary smile.

"We will have to pull this school up from the gutter it seems, and that's not even considering the other things Dumbledore let slide."

"I know. But remember, Doris, I'm here to help you as well. If there is anything I can do to take some of the stress off your plate let me know."

"Thank you, Tiffany. I have a feeling that I will need it in the near future. Leave your notes here and I'll include them with my notes to the Board of Governors. There will be a staff meeting tonight to go over who will be attending the trials over the weekend. We will tell them our initial findings and changes as well. That way we can make the announcements tomorrow at breakfast." Tiffany nodded at this.

"Thankfully, the Medi-Wizards and Witches are coming Monday to start the physicals."

"When are the Curse Breakers coming?"

"The following Wednesday. They will be making a list of things that need to be added or removed from the wards as well as anything else that may need to happen. That should take them a while considering how big Hogwarts is. Then they hand in a report of what needs to be done, when they can do it and how much everything will cost."

"Well, hopefully you'll be able to make since of the financials before then." Doris snorted at that.

"You and me both, Tiffany. You and me both."

"I can help you look over them this weekend. Most will be focused on the trails anyway."

"You sure?" At Tiffany's nod, Doris accepted her help. Hopefully, the finances weren't as bad as it seemed.


	11. Teacher's Surprise

00000 Headmistress' Office, Faculty Meeting 00000

Doris looked around the office. The teachers and faculty were settling in and she could tell that some of them were confused that they were called in so early on a weekend. Unfortunately, with was going to be letting some of them go before going over the following week. Letting out a silent sigh, Doris started the meeting. There was still a mountain of paperwork to go through, no matter how much Tiffany helped.

"Thank you all for coming so early. I know that some of you are wondering why this meeting was called so I am going to jump right in. The first order of business is the class reviews that Tiffany did this week. She was in two of your classes without your knowledge so she could get a base line for future reference and issues that may need to be fixed in the coming school year.

"I'll start with the classes that need the least help or change. Professor McGonagell, your class is good, but it seems to be heavily centered on theory. That is okay with the younger years, but for third years and above, practical class time needs to be greater. That way the students can ask more questions during class and practice so you can fix any mistakes. The theory that isn't covered in class can be assigned as homework and covered if it seems to be an issue."

Minervia pursed her lips but still nodded. She always thought that theory was important, but she did notice that some of her students were more practical learners than academic. Maybe splitting the week's classes into theory and practical would be a good idea. If it didn't work she could also go back to her original teaching method.

"Professor Flitwick, it seems that more theory for the younger years is needed. Tiffany has informed me that a couple of feathers have exploded thanks to a levitation charm. Going a little more slowly with them could be helpful in preventing it as well as teaching them to pay attention to their wand movement and pronunciation. Other than that, the only problem is that you don't have a chair or platform that helps the class to see you. A pile of books really isn't acceptable, so here are some catalogs so you can order something. We don't need you injuring yourself because of you losing your balance." Doris slid the catalogs over and Flitwick couldn't help the excited squeak that left his mouth.

"I'll make sure to go over the theory better and keep a keener eye. Having a proper platform will help since I can't always see the students."

"I'm glad that I'm able to help. Professor Snape and Sinistra, the only thing of note is updating some of you instruments and having some extra tools for those who damage their own. We can go over that at another time when you have a list as well as anything else that might help with your class. We will see if we can incorporate it in or not in the next year or so."

Both teachers looked relieved at that, especially Snape. He knew that some of the older years were expecting him to be the same as before, but he was trying to squash that as soon as possible. Thankfully the younger years seemed to accept it with eagerness and didn't cause him any problem. The upper years though, mainly the Slytherins and Gryffindors, were the main ones he had to watch out for. Both Houses seemed to think that his new attitude wasn't long lasting or some trick. Snape could already tell that a lot of detentions were needed for the next month or two to 'assure' them that this wasn't a trick. On the bright side, he wouldn't need to clean the cauldrons and classroom as much.

"Professor Vector, we were thinking about having Math tutors for those that seem to struggling with that portion of the class. Eventually we hope to get an actual Math class as a core class. This will hopefully help improve your class."

"Thank you, Headmistress. I have a number of students that might be good tutors. They have a good understanding of Math and Arithmancy as a whole."

"Please give me that list as soon as you can. Hopefully we can come up with some kind of reward for the time they are giving.

"Now, for those classes that need a little extra work. Professor Sprout and Kettleburn, we would like for you to have an actual classroom. We know that your classes are more hands on than most, but your students need to be a little more prepared for some of the plants and creatures that you show. Throwing them into the deep end is how many of the injuries have occurred, even if the plants or creatures are ranked as a X or XX. Having a classroom will also help when the weather is bad and going outside is a bad idea. Please choose from one of the un-used classrooms near your offices and the house elves will prepare it in the next week. I know this is going to be hard for the both of you to considering how your classes are, so over the next month, Tiffany and I will help you restructure your class course to fit in class time."

Sprout and Kettleburn had different reactions to this. Kettleburn seemed happy about this. He had tried to have a class setting for years but Dumbledore kept insisting that the students need hands on experience while going over the creatures. The number of injuries he took to protect some of the more arrogant or plain stupid students were numerous.

Sprout on the other hand was incensed that her class would need to be changed. How else would her students learn how to take care of plants? Not to mention she always made sure that the injuries weren't severe. How else were they going to learn from their mistakes? Hard work was the only way to learn in her class. Hopefully after the meeting she would be able to talk to the Headmistress about it.

"Professor Sinistra, for your Astronomy class we were thinking about charming a couple of classrooms with different night skies. That way you would be able to have your class during the day as well as showing different constellations and stars. Professor Flitwick, I was hoping that you would be able to help with the charm work?"

"Of course. This will be a nice thing to show 5th years and above as well if no-one has any problems with that."

"A good idea, Professor. You and Sinistra can talk about how the classes should look. Please look at some of the un-used classes and tell me which ones you would like to use. If you need anything else please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you. It would be nice to sleep regularly for myself and the students. Why it was set up this way I never understood."

Doris smiled at her before turning back to the other Professors. Trelawney, Quirrell, Binns and Burbage looked a little nervous. Doris had to hide a wince at the news she was about to give but it was unavoidable considering what was about to happen.

"I will start with you Professor Burbage. You are a good teacher, which is not the issue here. The issue is that your course material is at least two centuries out of date. We will need to do some major reviving for your course to bring it up to date. We are also going to go over some places to take some of the upper years to get them use to the muggle world, so over the break we will be doing that so you are prepared for those trips. This is important considering that in the next year or two this is going to be a core class for wizard raised students until Owls. We are hoping to reduce the amount of incidences that expose us to muggles unnecessarily. It will be hard work, but I and Tiffany believe that you can handle it."

Burbage looked relieved and excited at the same time. Many didn't believe Muggle Studies was important, but it was considering muggle outnumbered wizards. There was also an increase in muggleborns that brought their own culture that needed to be understood. Burbage was also relieved that she was considered a good teacher, because even she knew that they could have gotten a muggleborn to teach the class easily if they wanted.

"We are also going be designing a Wizard Studies class that is going to begin next semester. If we haven't found a teacher by then, you may have to also teach that class until we find someone. I'm not foreseeing the need, but I just wanted to let you know of the possibility.

"Professor Quirrell, we know that what happened to you in Albania was horrible, but it seems that you have come back to soon to be an affective teacher. Tiffany will be watching closely and if there is no improvement by the end of the semester then you will be let go. Tiffany will go over what needs to change after the meeting. If you think you are unable to do that, then you can step down and still be paid for the semester. Hopefully after some time for you to recover, we can reconsider you working here again. Is this understood, Professor?"

"Yes, Headmistress."

"I'm glad. And, Professor, please remove the garlic hanging from your classroom. I understand if you would like to keep a couple of cloves with you, but the smell is distracting to your students.

"Professor Binns and Trelawney, unfortunately the review that Inquisitor Tiffany gave you and the number of complaints this week is as astonishing. Not only that, but past reviews of your class scores are the worst that's been seen compared to any and all scores in the last century. With a heavy heart, and a lot of thought, myself and the Hogwarts' Governors have decided to release you from your teaching contracts."

There were a number of gasps around the room. Many didn't think that they would let anyone go so soon, let alone in the first week. No matter how they all thought that both teachers weren't the best, the thought that they would no longer be teachers rattled deeply to all. When looking at the two teachers, everyone could tell how troubled they were, although Trelawney seemed to be the most devastated of the two.

Binns had a look of shock on his face that was slowly morphing into one of lost and then resignation. Many couldn't look at the teacher who was so dedicated to his post that death couldn't stop him from teaching. Many believed that he should have been let go as soon as his death, or at least the new school year afterwards, but everyone could see how important it was to his existence. The calm that came over him worried some of the teachers. It was not inconceivable to think he wouldn't move on because of this.

Trelawney on the other had been crying so hard that many worried about her being able to breath. Severus was tempted to give her a calming drought if he wasn't afraid she'd choke on it. He might not like the woman but he didn't want her to die, especially with one of his potions linked to it.

Minervia on the other hand put her arm around her and tried to calm her down. It was true that she didn't really like Trelawney as a teacher or a Seer, but she didn't like to see anyone in this state. Minervia would hate to be told she could no longer teach at a place that had become home for her, so Minervia understood her tears.

"Is there any possibility that you rethink your stance? Maybe give her a chance to improve in the next month or two before throwing her out like this. It's only the first week of classes anyway."

"If I thought it was possible to do that then I would have made the suggestion at last night's meeting with the Board of Governors. But that is not the case when in the past years there have been multiple complaints from students and parents alike about how she predicts the students' dismemberment and death. That the only way that most students pass her class is by predicting disturbing ways they are going to die. That every bad omen is taken as fact without context some of the students have. That is not something myself of the Governors want.

"Not only that, it has been noted that she had shown up drunk to class by anonymous complaints from the student body. If these things hadn't been brought to our attention, then maybe we might of thought about making changes so she could stay on, but that is not the option. It wouldn't matter if she was a Seer creating prophesies three times a week. This is a school where the needs of the students come before everything else.

"Trelawney, I know that this is hard for you. Neither the Board of Governors nor I are unsympathetic to this. It's why we have decided to give you until after the winter holidays until you will have to leave the castle. That should give you enough time to get all of your things as well as deciding what to do from here."

"I have nowhere to go! This has been my life for over a decade!" Trelawney managed to wail out in between her sobs.

"That may be true, but you had a life before the school and I'm sure that you will be able to find a life after this school. Not to mention that the school pays you extremely well. I'm sure that you can travel with that money or even retire if you've saved it properly.

"How about we all take a twenty minute break before resuming the meeting again? Professor Snape, Madam Promfrey, could either of you possible give her something to help her relax?"

"I'll do that, Headmistress." Promfrey said before steering a still sobbing Trelawney from the office. Everyone slowly followed them from the office. Many were hoping nothing else drastic was being presented to them when the meeting resumed. None of them thought they would be able to keep their wits with everything else going on this weekend.

00000 Harry Potter, Slytherin Dorms 00000

Harry was lying on his bed reading a book. As usual, he was up before the rest of his dorm mates. Harry would wait until one of his friends were up, or when it was a nice time to wake them up, before going down to breakfast. He might have memorized the way to the Great Hall, but that didn't mean that he wanted to go alone. There were still those upper years from other houses that sent him hateful glares and Harry wasn't about to give them an easy opening.

The only good thing about this was his ability to read up on information he didn't know. Theo, Blaise and Neville were nice enough to answer his questions about things he didn't understand, but that didn't mean he was going to irritate them when he could easily read about it now and ask for clarification later.

At the moment, Harry was reading about family lines and how they became notable. It was interesting to know that the Prince family was usually associated with potions and spell crafting, that the Weasley family was known for their fertility, and even his family being known for strong battle magic and business since with some sprinkling of healing abilities. Harry couldn't help to smile at this. It made him feel closer to his family since he had an interest in healing magic. Harry hoped that he was able to fulfill the other aspects of his family, or at least the part about the battle magic.

Harry was brought out of his thoughts when he noticed that Blaise was waking up. Out of everyone else, it seemed that he and Blaise were the only two to be able to wake up without aid. Blaise already taught a number of spells to wake up the dorm. It was kind of funny to see who fell to the floor, although Blaise usually did it because he's usually cranky before breakfast.

"Morning."

"Hmm. What time is it?"

"6:48. Why? Have a hot date or something?"

"Ha ha. I'm getting ready for breakfast. Meet me in the common room?"

"We're not going to wait for Theo?"

"No. Let the night owl get his beauty sleep. Anyway, Professor Snape makes sure that no one gets to breakfast too late." Blaise grunted at that before going to the bathroom. Harry couldn't help to chuckle at him before heading down to the common room. It was mostly empty except for the other early risers. Thankfully for Harry, there was an unspoken rule that it was too early to try anything, no matter if you liked the person or not. About twenty minutes later, Blaise and Harry headed towards the Great Hall.

"Are you worried about today?"

"Yes and no. I mean, it's my parents' wills I'm going to hear. This is the closest I'll be able to know what they are thinking and who they held dear. Not to mention finding out whom I was supposed to go to after they died.

"A part of me is excited about finding out¸ but another part of me isn't and I really can't figure out why."

"Maybe because it becomes real." Harry looked at Blaise in confusion. Blaise gave him a sad smile before looking ahead while they walked.

"I don't remember much from when my birth father was alive, but I do remember my mom sitting me down when I was older to go over what he left me. That was the time that it really stuck that my father didn't just run away or was injured. I remembered crying, but I also remember the feeling of a weight being lifted. I was able to fully grieve. And I hope that today you get to finally grieve while getting the answers you need."

"Thanks, Blaise. I really needed that."

"No problem. If you ever need to talk, just know that I'm here for you, even if you need me to nod along."

"For an eleven year old, you're really mature."

"When you have a mother that exposes you to death the way mine does, you tend to grow up." When Harry looked at Blaise again, he was worried by the haunted, faraway look. Harry had a feeling that his mother was responsible for more than a few unfortunate husbands she married.

"Hey, you know it goes both ways to. It could even be a hypothetical situation if need be." Blaise smiled at that. Both knew that there were some things the neither of them could talk about, but both knew that the important things was safe with the other. It didn't matter that they've only known each other for a weak, they could both tell that the other was deeply damaged in their own ways.

00000 Severus Snape, Private Quarters 00000

Severus sat in his quarters looking at an album full of the happiest times. It made him almost laugh that all of his happiest memories could fit into an album and still have room. Most of the pictures had a common theme in them though. One red head, smiling witch that stole his heart since he was eight and never gave it back.

Lily Evans caught his attention one day at the park in the area they lived in. She was on the swings going higher than what is normally possible before jumping off at the highest point. Instead of falling and injuring herself, she floated to the ground like some angel. It was then that he knew that she was a witch. Severus telling her didn't go smoothly, especially with her shrew of a sister there, but a couple of days later she sought him out and demanded answers. It was that day that they became friends, and the day he finally had a bright spot in his life.

Her friendship was one thing that his drunk, abusive father couldn't take away or taint. Lily's laugh chased away the knowledge that his mother didn't love him enough to kick their father out. Lily Evans made life possible for a poor kid that barely got enough food let alone anything else.

Potter may of thought that he was clever about what he called him, but Severus heard it all before from the neighboring kids. But thanks to Lily and her parents, he was able to get more food, clothes and a shower once a week. Something he didn't always get considering Tobias would drink and gamble their money away. But that didn't matter with Lily. She didn't pity him or look at him in disgust. She was a real friend.

Even after they got Sorted into Slytherin and Gryffindor, they were still friends. Even if the majority of their houses didn't like it, they were still friends. They laughed, did homework, and explored Hogwarts together.

But that all stopped thanks to his pride when Lily was only trying to help him. Severus tried apologizing, but Lily was hurt. It didn't help that he hung out with others that had a Dark Magical leaning like he did. She never understood that Dark didn't mean evil. But Severus couldn't really blame her considering what the Death Eaters were doing. No matter what though, Severus thought that he and Lily could make up and be friends again.

Severus underestimated her stubbornness though. The final nail in the coffin though was when she started going out with Potter. After everything he and his band of misfits did to not just him, but everyone else who wasn't a Gryffindor was mean and plain sadistic at time. That crushed Severus. Lily being able to forgive that bully but not him for saying something in embarrassment and anger. Severus went into a depression, and it was the perfect time for Malfoy and his ilk to strike. Some sweat words and sympathetic faces had him joining the Death Eaters before he could come to his senses.

By the time he realized his mistake, he had already killed for Voldemort. Severus was thankfully not expected to be on the front lines as much thanks to his Potions knowledge. It didn't save him watching some of the vilest things happen though. The only reason he didn't quit was the fear of being the newest play thing before being granted the sweetness of death.

That all changed though. The moment Severus found out that Voldemort was going after Lily, he found his bravery. Too bad he trusted the wrong person. Going to Dumbledore gained him another master just as twisted as Voldemort. That was okay though. Lily would be safe and he could start making up for his stupidity and cowardice. But that wasn't to be when Lily was killed.

For the longest time Severus blamed Potter and his spawn. If it wasn't for them, then Lily wouldn't have been killed. It wasn't fair that Lily had to die but the child got to live. Seeing Lily on the floor like that broke most of the hope he had. For the longest time he blamed all things Potter for the way things happened. Over the years, it was the only thing that kept him from taking an overdose of something to end it all. Then the news about Harry's life came forth and Severus couldn't blame Harry anymore. Severus may still blame James for some things, but he knew that it was his choices that lead him down the path he was on.

Unfortunately, it didn't ease the pain that he felt for failing Lily. If anything, knowing what Harry went through only added to his misery. Closing the album, Severus put it to the side and picked up the letter that has been on his mind. It was an invitation to the will reading today. Severus still hadn't decided if he was going to go or not. Could he sit there, knowing that he was one of three that was directly responsible for these deaths? Letting out a mournful sigh, Severus folded the letter up and put it in his inner robe pocket.

No matter what, he owed Lily this much. Even if he was there only to be cursed from the grave, well, many would agree that he deserved it. Severus looked was about to leave his rooms before turning around. Looking at the photo album with an appraising eye, Severus took out his wand and started silently casting. Maybe this would absolve him a little.

00000 7:30am Great Hall 00000

Harry was finishing the last of his breakfast with Blaise when Theo stumbled into the Great Hall. Both Harry and Blaise had to hold in their laughs when they saw him. It seemed that Theo was almost drunk in the way he walked towards them.

"You two could have woken me up you know?"

"And here I thought we were doing him a favor, Harry. Letting him sleep in for once to wake up without a large bang going off and all." Theo let out an impressive growl, which had Harry snickering, while reaching for the coffee.

"Like I would want to miss Harry leaving for the day without wishing him good luck. But if that is beneath either one of you then fly off!" Harry was actually surprised at this.

"Sorry, Theo, but I and Blaise really thought that you could use the sleep. Next time we'll make sure to wake you if that's what you want."

"Yeah, Theo. It's not like you're an early riser to begin with."

"Hmmph. I'll forgive you two this time, but next time I better get some chocolates from each of you. Or coffee."

"Deal." Both Harry and Blaise said at the same time. That got a laugh out of the three of them.

"So when do you leave? I know you wanted to talk to your account manager before the will reading." Theo said while starting a plate for himself.

"Tombs wrote me and said that he should be in the Headmistress' Office in about fifteen minutes. I should probably start going soon now that I think about it."

"Well, good luck on both the accounts and wills."

"Thanks, Theo. You to, Blaise. I'll see the both of you this afternoon if not lunch." Theo and Blaise nodded at this while Harry made his way out.

"So, we make sure to find him for dinner right?"

"Yeah, at least then he might be willing to talk about the wills if he doesn't find us first."

"And how much do you want to bet he'll do that, Blaise? He may like us, but do you really think he trust us that much?"

"Not without pressuring him a little bit." Blaise let out a sigh before taking a sip of his tea. "Fine, we'll wait and see."

"Good. I'll be able to go back to sleep then."

"Really, Theo?"

"Hey, Professor Snape said we had to be at breakfast before 9am. He never said that we couldn't go back to sleep afterwards."

"Indeed, Mr. Nott." Both boys jumped in their seats before turning to find said professor behind them. He raised an eyebrow that seem to say it all. Both boys managed a 'Good morning.' to their Head of House before he decided to speak again.

"Has Mr. Potter decided to sleep in or has he already followed Mr. Nott's plan?"

"He's already eaten, sir." Blaise picked up where Theo left off.

"He should be heading to the Headmistress' Office right now, sir. He has an appointment with his account holder before his parents' will reading." Severus thought about it for a second before deciding to wait until he saw Harry at the will reading to talk to him.

"Thank you, both." Severus walked up to his seat without a backwards glance.

"I know he's our Head of House, but he scares me sometimes."

"Can't blame you. Mother is even wary of him and they've never officially met. I think the closest she's got to him is when the both of them were shopping at the Apothecary at the same time."

"Do I want to know what your mother was shopping for?"

"Probably not. You know there is a reason she's called the Black Widow."

"Yeah. Our families have one messed up history together." Blaise could only nod at this. One family magic leaning towards assassinations and the other towards Necromancy, their families are one of the deadliest in the world. Blaise is just thankful that neither Theo's father nor grandfather seems to process the skill for Necromancy. Otherwise, Voldemort's army would have been a lot worse than it was.


	12. Reading of the Wills

Harry entered the Headmistress' Office when he saw Tombs' coming out of the fire place. Harry tripped in his surprise and barely caught himself. Tombs didn't hold back his chuckle. Harry's glare was cut off when he heard a trilling laugh coming from the bird perch on the other side of the room. There Harry saw the most amazing bird he's ever seen. The bird was bigger than most and his feathers looked like fire.

"Beautiful isn't he, Mr. Potter?" Harry could only nod at the Headmistress's words. "This is Fawkes. He's been staying at the school off and on for a couple of centuries now. If you already haven't guessed, he's a Phoenix." Harry couldn't help himself from going over and petting Fawkes, who cooed at the pampering.

"Wow. Your feathers are so soft. I think there even softer the Hedwig's. Don't tell her that though. I think she'll be mad if she found out I said that." Fawkes seemed to agree. If Harry was paying attention to the adults and paintings in the room, he would have seen their surprise. Fawkes rarely allowed people to pet him on their first meetings.

"Alright kid. I know that he's an amazing bird," (Glare from said bird.) "but we have to get going if we want to get your appointment on time." Harry nodded his head and gave Fawkes one more pet before moving away.

"Thank you Headmistress for allowing me to use your office."

"It's no problem, Mr. Potter. I'm sure that Fawkes would be here for a good petting once you get back. That is if Hedwig doesn't get jealous." Harry could tell that she was joking by the little smile she was sporting. Harry couldn't help from blushing.

"From what the kid has written me about the owl, it seems that it might happen."

"It's not my fault that you got me a high strong bird, no matter how wicked she is. She almost took someone's figure off when they went for the last piece of bacon."

This time Doris couldn't keep from letting a chuckle escape. Thankfully the second year managed to keep all digits, but after that Doris noticed that no one went for the bacon until after Hedwig got her pick. Most of the teachers couldn't help to chuckle at it. Hedwig also preening Harry's hair at least twice before flying off didn't help matters either.

Harry on the other hand couldn't help to blush. He knew that Hedwig scared some of his housemates. Thankfully, the teachers didn't learn about her attacking one of the older years who was making fun of him yesterday. Hedwig came out of nowhere and started scratching at the boy. Thankfully she stopped when Harry called Hedwig to him before her claws could do any serious damage. The older boy walked away with some scratches that were easily heeled by one of his friends. After that, everyone had kept their distance.

"Come on, Harry. Even though making you blush is fun, we have a full morning." Harry nodded one at Tombs before thanking the Headmistress again.

"Alright, Harry. We are going to be using the Floo network. It's going to be a little disorienting, but you'll get used to it after a while. You're going to travel with me the first time and we'll see how you fair. The trick is to say the destination clearly then to throw down the Floo powder. You should also take a big breath after throwing the Floo powder. The network isn't the cleanest and you don't want to be coughing up soot afterwards."

"You sure this is safe then?"

"Yeah, it's safe. The only thing you have to worry about is accidently ending up in the wrong place. But since we're going together this time, it's not going to happen. One more tip before we go. When the Floo is about to toss you out, do a little hop. It will help keep you from tripping over yourself or ending up on the floor." Harry looked at the fireplace with hesitation. Harry had a feeling where the story of Hansel and Gretel came from before walking towards Tombs.

"If I fall I'm taking you down with me."

"That's the spirit." Tombs arranged Harry besides him before throwing down the Floo Powder and with a shout of 'Diagon Alley'.

00000 Gringotts 00000

Harry and Tombs came out of The Leaky Cauldron without any problems. Harry managed to keep his footing, even if he stumbled a little. Tombs managed to make sure he didn't fall before cleaning off the soot from them both. They both said hi to Tom before going to Diagon Alley.

"Tom is one of the few places that has a public Floo, so most get routed here unless there are a lot of people trying to get here. Luckily for Tom that doesn't happen, so he gets a lot of business from people passing through."

"Wow. That's really smart. Why doesn't anyone else do that?"

"Some of the other businesses do, but a lot of them who don't are protecting their merchandise. They don't want anyone coming in through the Floo, take a candy bar or Potion's ingredient and leave without paying. So the only time the business owners opens the Floo to the public is when there is an emergency or if the customer has an appointment."

"Makes since. Do any of the other alleys have a something like the Leaky Cauldron?"

"Yes. You just have to say the name of the street or alley you want and the Floo will take you there." Harry nodded at this.

Both of them walked in silence the rest of the way to the bank. Thankfully, there weren't a lot of people out, but those who were there didn't give them that much attention. Tombs was glad of this. He wasn't under any delusions that if there were a lot of people here, they would be mobbed with people trying to ask Harry some questions. This didn't mean that wouldn't happen on their way back. The trial of Crouch and Dumbledore was the biggest, most talked about event in the last decade.

Even if Harry wasn't attending Crouch's trial, people would still want to talk with Harry. Tombs made a mental note to ask for some help tomorrow. He wasn't going to take any chances with the amount of press this weekend was getting. The only person who seemed to be enjoying themselves was the reporters, especially Rita. The amount of stories she's been writing has flooded the papers and magazines so much he wouldn't be surprised if she was making more than some bankers at the moment.

But he didn't allow himself to think about it much. It wasn't his business and he had Harry to look after. Even if they were close to the bank, it didn't mean that somebody wouldn't pop up do something, good or bad. Glancing at Harry, Tombs could see that he was nervous but trying to hide it. Tombs wasn't surprised that the eleven year old could hide some of his emotions. He was sure that Harry showing emotions while in those 'monsters' care was one of the ways he got out of a worse beating or punishment. Letting out a sigh, Tombs nodded at the bank guards before speaking again.

"I'll take you to Ragnorock now. Hopefully he has been able to straighten out everything with your accounts to go over everything with you in one go. With the biggest trials going on this weekend, I'm sure that it's going to be a mad house in a hour or two."

"Let's hope. I'm just glad that I'm going to Dumbledore's trial and not Crouch's."

"Yeah. Just a warning though. The press is probably going to be there in mass tomorrow at Dumbledore's trial, along with the general public. I'm sure that no matter the outcome of the trial, you are going to be mobbed. I'm going to be asking for some more guards to help with tomorrow, but I just wanted to tell you what to expect. I'll make sure to get you out of there carefully either way. Just know that you don't have to answer any questions and you can release a statement through Rita if you want."

"Thank you, Tombs."

"No problem, Harry. And it looks like we're here." Tombs nocked on the door before opening it for Harry. "Have fun, kid." Harry gave him a look before going into Ragnorock's office.

The office seemed to be a little neater than before. Harry could tell there were a few more file cabinets behind Ragnorock that had family crest on them, including his own as well two or three he was able to recognize. Ragnorock was sitting at his desk shuffling some papers before looking up.

"Ahh, Mr. Potter, I mean Harry, it is good to see you. I hope that you are in good health?"

"Yes, Ragnorock. I hope the same of you."

"Yes. Now, take a seat and we can get down to business. As you know, we already retrieved the money and items that Dumbledore took from you. After that, it was just finding out what was registered to your family's vaults and making sure everything was where it was supposed to be. Thankfully, your ancestors registered everything of value, even if Gringotts weren't holding the items. This is a list of the properties, items, and where they are held." Harry took the file and had a quick look at it before returning his attention to Ragnorock.

"What I wanted to go over with you is the business ventures that your family is invested in. It seems that Dumbledore took that over and sold some of the stock that you had. We are trying to get them back if we can since they were illegally sold. On the off chance that we can't, Dumbledore will have to return what he sold them for as well as any future earnings the stocks would of given you. We might be able to fine him if the loss is great enough."

"How much is enough?"

"If over 40% of your assets are unrecoverable, we will be able to go after him. Either way, I will keep you informed of our progress. Now on to those that you do have. Here is a list of business and properties that you have a steak in. You own 14% of Honeydukes Company Ltd., 15% of The Daily Profit, 10% of Lees & Sons Construction, 22% of Bramble Fields, 5% of Royal, 38% of Runes Recitals, 15% of Rhubarb & Thistle, 45% of Kwikspell, 23% of DAF, 13% of Chester Stevens Estate Agency, 49% of Magic Translator, 24% of Witch Watchers, 11% of Golden Pole, 20% of Rosie's Garden Seed Company, 15% of Rosenbaum's, 32% of Wandingtons, 22% of Zonko's Joke Shop, and 16% of Sullivan Buses. Here are brief bios about each company and how each of them is going. None are losing any money, but some aren't doing as well as they use to be. I've made some notes at the bottom of each bio for you to look over."

"Is there a list of what Dumbledore took from me?"

"Yes." Ragnorock looked through some papers before pulling one out. With a wave of his hand, a copy was handed to Harry.

"As you can see, he usually sold off a little of those you already held. Royal, Lees & Sons Constructions and Honeydukes Company Ltd. are only a few that he sold off. We've determined that you've lost between 8% and 12% of business holdings thanks to Dumbledore. There are some companies that he's sold off completely as well." Harry nodded his head while looking them over.

"What if I only wanted a select few of my investments back?"

"Then if the remaining is over 40%, then we can fine Dumbledore. Once we are done with the overview, we can go over which stocks you want us to recover and the ones we can leave alone." Harry nodded at this. He and Ragnorock continued on with their meeting.

00000 9:50am, Potter Will Reading, Severus Sanpe 00000

Severus Snape was sitting in the conference room waiting for the will reading to begin. He was surprised at the amount of people here. He didn't think that so many people would be named in their wills, especially since it was war time, but then he realized that many of the people here were Order members that they knew. It was still surprising to him though.

There were those here that didn't surprise him like the Bones, Lupin, and Black. Although it looked like Black should still be under Healer care getting a couple more potions forced down his throat. Lupin didn't look much better now he had a good look at him.

Bones on the other hand looked strong, although uncomfortable by the looks of it, and Black was the cause by the looks they would shoot at each other. Severus had to withhold a snort. Most in the room didn't notice, but it was obvious to those paying attention that something was going on between the two. Hopefully the two flirting with each other wouldn't distract her from charging Dumbledore with more crimes if possible.

Andromeda Tonks, Stephanie Williams, and Connie Moore being at the will readings were a slight surprise though. Andromeda was above them at Hogwarts and to his knowledge didn't talk to either Potter or Lily. But thinking about it, they could have become friends after Hogwarts. Severus wasn't known to be the most sociable so he wasn't sure who made friends with whom after graduation.

Stephanie Williams on the other hand was one of Potter's five minute girlfriends during fifth year. Severus remembered making fun of her with Lily since Stephanie was dramatic over the entire thing. Last he remembered, Stephanie and Potter didn't talk after their little relationship, no matter how much Stephanie tried to change that.

Connie Williams was another surprise. She and Lily once were the best of friends until Connie realized that her boyfriend at the time liked Lily more than herself. They had this big argument in front of the entire school during lunch. It eventually came to wands. Both of them had to go to Hospital Wing for two days to have the curses removed. The Healer at the time was not amused since they brought some other students that got caught in the crossfire. Connie and Lily held the record for the longest detentions for the year if he remembered correctly.

Severus was brought out of his thoughts when another person came into the room. Harry walked in with a slightly dazed look on his face. It looked like the time reviewing his accounts was well spent if he had that look. Merlin knows he sometimes got that look after a long time with his account manager.

Severus looked around to see where Harry would sit and found out that there were only two seats left. One by him and the other by Black. It seems that Black noticed this too by the smug look on his face.

"Harry, come sit over here. We saved a seat for you!" Black was waving his arms like Harry wouldn't be able to see him. Harry looked around before spotting the chair by Severus. He couldn't help the little smirk that came over him when he waved Harry over. The look that came over Black's face when Harry came over was priceless. When Harry stopped in front of him, Severus brought the photo album out of his robes and enlarged it.

"I had hoped to catch you before you left this morning. I thought that you would have liked this."

"What is it?"

"Some pictures of your mother and me. We use to be friends before we had an argument over my stupidity." Severus might have no intentions of telling Harry why Lily and his friendship ended any time soon, but he had no delusions that Black would let it slip. But at the moment, Severus didn't care because Harry's face was priceless.

Harry's face brightened so much that it caused Severus a pang in his heart. He was sure that this would be the first time Harry saw his mother since he was a baby. It made him want to hunt down Petunia even more for what she did to Harry.

"If you wish to hear stories about her, you can come to my office after dinner. Just make sure to send me a note to make sure I don't have any appointments."

"Thank you very much, sir. I really appreciate this." Snape nodded his head. There was nothing else to say with all the people around watching them. Severus was sure that if he showed any more kindness that many would pass out. Severus cleared his throat before speaking again.

"It looks like Black wants you to sit with him."

"Yeah. Would you mind if I sat with you for this? I can talk to him after this."

"Of course, Mr. Potter." Harry sat down with a thankful smile. It was soon after Harry sat down that a goblin came in.

"I am Slambound. I will be reading the wills of Lord James Potter and Lady Lily Potter ne Evans. Everyone in this room is either named in the will or a representative. The only time someone isn't able to receive the item(s) named to them is if they have committed a crime against the Potter House. Since Lord Potter was the first to perish, his will is the first to be read." Slambound unrolled a parchment with the Potter family crest on it.

"I, Lord James Potter, of sound mind and body, hereby make my last will and testament. All other will and testaments are null and void. To my wife, Lady Lily Potter ne Evans, I give her control of the Potter funds and holdings until Heir Harry Potter is able to take over as Lord of the Noble and Ancient House of Potter. After my Heir takes control, Lady Potter will receive 10 million galleons and residence within Potter Manor.

"To my friend Sirius Black, I give 500,000 galleons and my deep thanks for your friendship and courage in being the decoy. I also claim you as my son's guardian if my wife, Lady Potter, is unable to care for him. Sirius, I know that you are a good man underneath all the joking and bravo, you just have to allow yourself to be and not worry that you will end up like your family. Being a pureblood doesn't mean following in your parents' footsteps.

"To my friend Remus Lupin, I give you 2 million galleons and Hollows Cottage. This is something that you can't give back, Remus, so enjoy it and start living life. You are a good man, no matter what anyone else says. You just have to believe that.

"To Lord and Lady Longbottom, I give you 100,000 galleons and the silver jewelry box, the goblins will know which one. I am sure that you will love what is in it. To the Longbottom Heir I give 500 galleons to be deposited in the Longbottom Heir account. Let us hope the Longbottom Heir has the money since of his father and the backbone of his mother. Merlin knows he'll need it to deal with him grandmother."

Neville flushed at this while Augusta pursed her lips. Neville could see some of the people near him give sympathetic looks. Most knew how strong willed and overbearing Augusta could be. It took her six months to accept her new daughter-in-law and that was only after being threatened by her son to either be nice or never see any future grandchildren. Of course she chooses the former option and was able to build a good relationship with her new daughter.

Neville on the other hand was embarrassed that someone else was hoping he would be like his parents, even from the grave. His grandmother made it clear that he was a disappointment since he wasn't like his father. He never felt like he was worthy enough for anything, even if he was one of Harry Potter's best friends. The only time he had a kind word from his grandmother was when he was put in Gryffindor like his father.

Severus was looking at Neville and Augusta. Something in their reactions unsettled him and he made a mental note to talk to Minervia about it. Augusta was known to be a hard woman and took her son's health hard. Severus was hoping that she didn't take it too hard or out on Neville. Severus listened to other people receive money and trinkets until he heard his name.

"To Severus Snape, I give you 1 million galleons, rare potion supplies and my apologies to how I treated you. I should never have behaved that way towards you and I am sorry for all the pain I caused you. I am also sorry for ruining your friendship with Lily. The only thing that I can say is that I was jealous of your relationship and I was afraid that you would get her love before I had the chance. We both know that you were the better man for her. I hope you can forgive me and I thank you for warning us about the danger to my family. The life debt owed to the Noble and Ancient House Potter has been fulfilled and forgiven. So mote it be."

Severus was shocked to say the least and if he had enough since, he would have noticed the other shocked looks. He would have never thought that James Potter would admit to any wrong doing and call him the better man in anything. It took him a while to get over his shock and by then Slambound finishing up the will.

"And to my son and Heir, Harry Potter, I give you the remaining Potter fortune and properties. I also pass on the family magicks and knowledge. Within the Potter vault there are diaries of all Potter Lords since the beginning. Through these diaries, you will learn everything that I am unable to teach you. You will also find a diary for yourself to write it. Use it to tell your story and any important finds to pass on to future generations. Be well my son.

"I, Lord James Potter hereby name these people to watch over my Heir in the event neither I nor my wife can care for him. Sirius Black, Minerva McGonald, Lady and Lord Longbottom, Amelia Bones, Severus Snape, and Mitchell Stine. Under no condition is Harry Potter allowed to go to Lily's sister and brother-in-law Petunia and Vernon Dursley. I, Lord James Potter hereby conclude my last will and testament. May I be buried with my ancestors with my wife in the family graveyard at Potter Manor."

Slambound set the will aside and looked around the room. He could see some were still in shock over what they themselves were given or what was given to others. He could understand that and if Dumbledore had allowed the wills to be read, than all of this pain wouldn't be dragged up again. Withholding a sigh, Slambound got the rooms attention again.

"Any and all monies, property, and land will be given to you after the final will is read. If you received any property, the deed and location will be given to you as well as the condition of the land and any buildings. If you have any questions about what you received, investing or any business opportunity, please make an appointment with a teller on your way out. Your account manager will go over the options with you or you will be assigned one if you do not have one. The reading of Lady Lily Potter ne Evans will is next.

"I, Lady Lily Potter ne Evans, of sound mind and body, hereby make my last will and testament. All other will and testaments are null and void. To my husband, Lord James Potter, I give control to the Evans' accounts. To my son, Heir Harry Potter, I give all of my notes except for the copies mentioned.

"To Sirius Black, I give you my notes on Battle Charms. I know that you don't like to think about your family, but that doesn't mean you should shun all of the gifts they have given you. You are the best out of everyone with Battle Charms and I'm sure you will be able to take my notes and research farther than I. Hopefully, you will be able to teach Harry when he gets older. But, Sirius, if you try to make my son into a mini-replica of James I will hex you from the grave. Harry will be his own person, so if he isn't that big on pranks, or bullying, like you lot did at Hogwarts then that is okay.

"To Remus Lupin, I give you 10,000 galleons, copies of my research journals, and my mystery novels that you liked so much. Remus, please go and live your life. Find love, happiness, and prosperity. Your fear will do nothing but cause those who doubt you to win and you are better than that. If that was the case, then you wouldn't have our love and support. You are the brother that I always wanted. Make sure to watch over Harry and Sirius. We both know that Sirius will need a few hard slaps to be the responsible adult that he has buried deep inside. Don't be afraid to give him those slaps, Sirius will thank you in the long run.

"To Severus Snape, I give you all of my Potion research, my Spell Crafting research and my upmost apologies. I am so sorry for the way that I treated you after fifth year. I know that you didn't mean what you called me, unfortunately I let my stubbornness and fear get in the way. I knew your magicks was aligned to the Dark, unfortunately it wasn't until later in life did I understand that it didn't make you evil. I always blamed myself for you joining the Death Eaters, and I am so sorry for my actions that lead you down that path. I know it was your decision, but I also know you refused them until I stopped having faith in your goodness. Please know that no matter what, I will always love you and think of you as my best friend. Thank you for warning us about Voldemort coming after us. Please look after Harry for me."

Severus was once again stunned. He barely noticed Black hyperventilating in his seat.

She forgave him. Lily forgave him for what he did all those years ago, and wanted him to look after her son. Severus was under no delusions that it was her that talked Potter into naming him a possible guardian to Harry. The thought almost crushed him with guilt. All the things that he did and held onto and the only thing he got for it was misery and loneness. Severus knew his faults, his sins, and his cowardice caused many people pain and death. But Lily still wanted him to watch after her son.

Severus bowed his head. Severus promised himself that he will start to let go of the hatred that he had for James Potter and the guilt he carried over Lily's death. He was going to be a better person, the person that Lily believed him to be. Lifting his head up, Severus caught Harry looking at him. Those eyes that were so much like Lily's but his completely his own, looked at him with so much emotion, especially the sadness. The tears that escaped were noticed before being wiped away. Severus was sure that not many noticed.

"May we talk after dinner, sir?" Harry's voice was so small that Severus barely heard him, but he did and his answer was immediate.

"Yes, Mr. Potter, we can." Harry sent Severus a little smile before turning his attention back to the will reading. Severus followed his lead, hoping the talk he was about to have wasn't about to destroy what little control he had over his emotions.

00000 Sirius Black, POV 00000

Sirius was glad that he was able to come to the will reading today. The Healers didn't want to let him leave, but they eventually did with the promise of him returning before 2pm. Remus also had to promise that he would make Sirius eat something if they were out past noon.

Sirius only wished that his first day out of St. Mungo's wasn't to hear his best friends' wills. He never thought that he would be doing this. Even though they were at war, out of all of them, Sirius thought that he would be the first to go. It was one of the reasons that he named Harry as his heir. The thought of going out in a blaze of glory against his family sounded like the perfect way to go. That it was protecting his friends and leaving a part of the Black fortune toward the Light was even better.

But then that rat, Wormtail betrayed them all. Lily and James were dead, he was sent to Azkaban and Remus no longer had the pack. Not only that, but Harry was sent to live with Petunia and suffered at her hands because she was jealous of magic. The guilt in knowing that he was the cause by not being the godfather he was supposed to be caused a heaviness in his heart that Sirius doubted would ever go away.

Sirius came out of his thoughts thanks to Remus nudging him and showing him Harry coming into the room. Sirius, grinned and called Harry over. He was surprised that Harry went to Snape of all people instead of him.

"Why didn't Harry sit by us? We would have been much better than Snape." Remus didn't miss the disgust in Sirius' voice and had to withhold a sigh. It looked like Sirius wasn't over school day grudges.

"Snape is his Head of House. Not to mention that he might not be comfortable with us yet." Remus didn't mention that Sirius waving his arms like a five year old hyped up on sugar didn't help. Remus had to hope that the Mind Healer would help Sirius with that.

"What do you mean that 'Snape is his Head of House'? Who would hire that greasy git?"

"Sirius! Just because you never liked Snape, doesn't mean he isn't a good teacher. He is the youngest Potions Master in Great Britain and has made a lot of potions over the years. Anyways, Snape is the Slytherin Head of House. Harry wrote us that he was sorted into that House in his letter to us. I would suggest being at least civil to Snape if you want to have a relationship with Harry."

Sirius sat there godsmacked. He never thought anyone would stand up for Snivellus. With a huff, Sirius faced forwards, waiting for the reading to begin. It didn't take long for it to start. Sirius was surprised that both Lily and James apologized to Snape, not to mention naming him as a guardian for Harry.

Sirius looked over at the two to see them sitting together, Harry holding the book Snape gave him. Sirius sneered before turning away. He couldn't believe that his godson would want to sit with that git than with him and Remus. No matter what Remus said, Sirius couldn't think of any reason not to trust that Dark Wizard.

Sirius almost snorted when he heard about Sniveilus warning about Voldemort looking for them. No matter what Albus did after Lily and James' murders, Sirius knows that Albus had another mole in the Death Eater ranks. There was no way Snape would do anything to help James.

When the wills were done and he claimed the money and items, Sirius went over to Harry before he could leave. Thankfully for Sirius, Remus followed him to make sure he didn't do anything stupid.

"Harry, I had hoped the you would sit over by Remus and myself."

"Professor Snape wanted to give me this photo album of my mother." That seemed to throw Sirius off a moment and allowed Remus to take over before Sirius didn't anything stupid. After this Remus was defiantly taking him back to St. Mungo's. He had a feeling that Sirius' mental health was what the Healers were more hesitant about. Remus was sure that the potions and eating requirements could be followed at a house just as easily as St. Mungo's.

"That's nice of him, Harry. Maybe I can find some pictures as well. Unfortunately we won't have many pictures of your mother, but I'm sure we can collect some pictures for you."

"That sounds great. I should get going though. I have some last minute things to look over with my account manager before I can leave."

"Are you sure you need to be doing that now? I mean, we could get some lunch and I could tell you some stories." Harry hesitated. He really wanted to hear the stories, but he also wanted to wrap up the review of his accounts. Thankfully, Remus saved him from choosing.

"Sirius, Harry has to get back to school soon. You can help me write down some stories for Harry to read. The Healers want you to rest anyway." Sirius pouted at this but nodded.

"Don't worry, Sirius, we'll have all the time in the world to talk to Harry. Until then, we can still write to each other. You still have to focus on getting better and a proper house."

"That's right! I still have the appointment with my account manager anyways. I'll see you later, Harry."

"Sure, Sirius." If Sirius noticed Harry's hesitation, he didn't show it. Remus on the other hand seemed to understand. Saying goodbye to both Harry and Severus, who didn't go far just in case, before following after Sirius to his appointment. Remus couldn't help but feel that this was going to be a long road of healing before Harry would feel comfortable around Sirius.

Severus and Harry watched them go. Both had different thoughts about them.

Harry thought that Sirius seemed nice but unhinged. He couldn't help but feel a little hesitant with him, no matter how much he knew about his parents. Their wills didn't help with that regard either. They both said that he and his father were bullies and Harry didn't like that. His father seemed to have felt regret at least, but the look in Sirius' eyes told Harry that he had no regrets. The looks that he sent his Head of House conformed this as well.

Remus was a different story to Harry. He seemed nice and at least understood his hesitation. Remus had this soothing feel about him that allowed Harry to not feel so edgy around him. Remus also seemed to understand that he wasn't going to jump into trusting adults, never mind Tombs, and that it would take them some time to get to a close relationship.

Severus watched the two men go and let out a small sigh. To him, it looked like Black was deep into the madness his family was so famous for. Severus couldn't help but think that he was a little mad when they were in school. That was the only way Severus could see Black thinking it was okay that one of his 'pranks' would of killed not only him but one of his best friends as well. Severus shook his head. At least Remus seemed to feel remorse for what happened during his school years. The only thing Severus could blame him for is not doing anything to rain in his friends. He didn't think that they would be the best of friends, but Severus was honest with himself that he would be able to be civil with the werewolf. Trusting either of them on the other hand was another matter.

Bringing his thought to the present, he looked down at Harry who was still looking at Black and Lupin. Those two were the only other link to his parents, and no matter the degrees of mistrust he held against the two, Severus had a feeling that they would have to come together to help Harry. Withholding a groan, Severus brought Harry out of his thoughts.

"Mr. Potter, I believe you had to go see your account holder after this? Finishing that and making plans for your parents will take a while."

"Plans for my parents, sir?" The confused look that Harry sent Severus made him confused for a moment. Then the realization that Harry never visited his parents' graves or even knew where they were sent a flash of anger through him. Thankfully he held it in before answering Harry.

"Your parents were buried in Godrick's Hollow, not Potter Manor. Since it was stated in your father's will that he wanted both himself and your mother to be buried on Potter Manor, then they need to be moved to there. The goblins should be able to do that. The only thing you have to do is allow them into Potter Manor and into the family crept." Harry looked disturbed by this and Severus couldn't blame him.

Severus doubts that he would be able to do the same, even if he didn't hate his parents. His father didn't have any other family thankfully, so burying him was the basic of basics. His mother on the other hand came from the Prince family. She was cast out when she decided the man she was promised to wasn't what she wanted, she fled, embarrassing her parents. Severus would respect her if she didn't marry the first man that showed her any kindness six months later. He didn't know that she was a witch until afterwards. Their marriage went downhill shortly after it and his birth made it worse. Shaking those thought off, Severus returned his attention to Harry.

"I am sure that it can be ready by next weekend."

"But I'll be alone."

"I am sure that you can ask Mr. Nott and Mr. Zabini if they are willing to come with you, until you get to the family crept at least. If there is anyone else they can accompany you too if given enough warning." Harry nodded his head, worrying his bottom lip.

"That can be decided later Mr. Potter. Now I suggest you finishing your business. I will see you at the school later." With one last nod, Harry went to the goblin runner waiting for him. Severus shook his head before going to claim what was left to him. Not to mention his own issues to work through.


	13. Aftermath

Severus walked down the hallway towards Minerva's office. Even though he would rather have a glass of whisky, or three, he still had things to do. Severus could still remember the reactions of Neville and Augusta Longbottom and he wasn't willing to let it go. He didn't survive being a spy for so long ignoring the subtleties. It was a shame that he hadn't been able to catch her before Minerva left the will reading, but watching Harry interact with Lupin and Black and then going to his account manager took longer than expected. Knocking on Minerva's door and he walked in to see her going over some essays. That reminded him that he had to grade sixth and seventh year potion essays. Severus had a feeling his usual weekend night cap would be pushed back.

"Severus, I didn't expect to see you so soon after the will reading."

"Believe me, Minerva, I would be back in my rooms if I didn't need to talk to you."

"Yes, it was surprising that we were both named guardians of poor Harry. Just thinking that Dumbledore prevented him from being raised by one of us is disturbing on many levels."

"Actually, that's not what I wanted to talk about at the moment."

"Oh." Minerva blushed at this. This was one of the times that Severus would usually tease her about being a Gryffindor, jumping into things.

"Sorry about that, Severus. How about I order us some tea and we can go over what you wanted to." Severus nodded his head at this. His smirk at Minerva let her know that he caught her Gryffindorish behavior. They sat in silence until their tea was brought and they prepared it to their liking.

"The reason that I came here, Minerva, is because of Neville Longbottom."

"What does Longbottom have to do with anything? He was too young to remember anything relating to the Potters. Of course I let him know that my door was always open to him, but I doubt he will come." Severus let out a small sigh.

"When Potter, James that is, made the commit about Neville having the backbone to stand up to his grandmother, his reaction concerned me."

"How so, Severus? You can't think that she abused the boy do you? Augusta is many things, but a child abuser is not one of them."

"There are other ways to abuse a child than physically, Minerva. I think that she may have emotionally, or at least mentally, abused the boy. We all know that Augusta took the attack of her son badly. It was pure luck that Neville wasn't attacked as well since he was in the house. Minerva, what if Augusta was trying to make Neville into another Frank. Since the death of her husband, we all know she focused her attention on Frank." Minerva pursed her lips. She didn't like it, but Severus made some good points.

Neville did close himself off from others. Even if he was friends with Harry and the others, Minerva did realize that he was still shy around his year mates. Letting out a sigh, Minerva took a sip of tea before responding.

"What do you suggest, Severus?"

"I suggest that when the healers come, alert them to look at Longbottom closely. Just to make sure that nothing else has happened. I'm not saying that Augusta has done anything, but I have dealt with extended family doing questionable things to any child in their care." Minerva flinched at that. She almost forgot that most of the abused kids ended up in Slytherin.

"And if there is no physical damage?"

"I would suggest in talking to him, and then all your first years, to make sure there isn't anything to worry about. Many of your students are muggleborns, and some of their families might have taken their signs of magic just as well as Potter's relatives." Minerva paled at that and Severus nodded. He didn't like to think about it, but his own experiences with his father left him with the understanding that blood-relations didn't always save you.

"After that, I would go over your records to see how many of them stay over all of the holidays. It may be nothing, but those that always stay for the holidays for multiple years might have a reason for that."

"I'll do that and I'll talk to those who come up."

"I would suggest sending them a note during the morning when everyone gets mail. That way they aren't singled out. You might not get everyone, but you'll get a few."

"Have you ever been mistaken?"

"Of course. Some parents are out of the country or extremely busy, not to mention the child having some projects they want to finish in silence. But remember, Minerva, I deal with wealthy purebloods and half-bloods. The families are able to have house elves to look after the children, or at least trust them to behave at a friend's house. That is why I keep a close eye on the first and second years. They usually aren't that comfortable going to other's homes. It's how I catch many of the troubled ones and take action when needed." Minerva let out another sigh before taking another sip of tea. Severus let her have the time to reorient herself.

Even he didn't like to think of some of the children he helped. Nothing as severe as Potter, but most used spells to torment their children. And unfortunately, the wizarding world was mostly focused on physical abuse than psychological. Only the cases where the child hurt themselves, or was about to, that most did anything. Severus was brought out of his dark thoughts by Minerva.

"You know, Severus, I think you coming in here to talk about the will reading would have been more preferable." Severus snorted at that. Minerva smiled a little before refreshing both of their teas.

"I was there the night Dumbledore left Harry on the porch. I told him that those muggles were the worst of the worst, but I still let him leave Harry on the doorstep. Even if I felt bad, I never once checked to see if I was wrong or not."

"Dumbledore did say he was growing up loved and spoiled by them."

"Yes, but still. Even watching them for the short time I did, I knew something was wrong. I will always carry the guilt that I listened to Dumbledore over my instincts. Now, to also know that I was one of the few entrusted with Harry's care…I not only failed him, I also failed Lily and James. No matter what you or anyone else says, I will always carry that guilt." Severus couldn't argue with her. He knew about caring guilt better than anybody.

"You learn to live with it, Minerva. But try to move forward with it. I don't want to lose my reputation to you." Minerva let a laugh out at that.

"I doubt anyone would confuse us on that front, Severus. Being severe and strict yes, but dreary is another matter." Severus let himself have a small smile to let Minerva know he wasn't offended.

"Let's finish the tea, Minerva. You are not the only one who has to finish the first week of grades." With a nod, they both finished their teas in a comfortable companionship.

00000 Harry Potter, Unused Classroom 00000

Harry sat in one of the unused classrooms in the dungeons. Not only did he have to think about the riches that he's received, but also moving his parents to the family crypt. That wasn't even counting the properties that he had to inspect over the holidays to see which one he wanted to live at during the summer break. Living at a hotel wasn't the safest options, so Tombs was going to be taking him to the properties and helping Harry decide. When he tried to clear his mind, Dumbledore seemed to pop in. For a man Harry never met, Dumbledore has caused him undeniable pain and suffering.

Because of Dumbledore, his parents' wills weren't read and he was forced to stay with his aunt and uncle. Ragnorock said that he would be facing extra charges because of that, but that still didn't change the fact that Dumbledore caused him to live with people that hated him. Harry couldn't imagine living with people who were supposed to look after him. Of course there was the possibility now.

Two people who were named to look after him work at Hogwarts and the other happened to be related to one of his new friends. Harry couldn't help to be scared at the possibility. Sure, he had the chance to get to know them as well as Sirius, even if he wasn't healthy enough at the moment, but what if no one wants to take care of him after they got to know him. He couldn't help to remember the things his aunt and uncle would yell about him being worthless and a burden. Even if they were lying to him, a part of him couldn't help believing them. Harry groaned, wrapping his arms around his bent legs. He blamed all of this on Dumbledore. Not to mention everything that old man stole.

Thankfully Harry was able to go to his trust vault to pick up the Invisibility Cloak and his parents' journals as well as his grandfather's. Harry decided to start with those journals before getting others to read. Dumbledore had to have a reason for stealing them, even if he was only able to read his mother's journal. She had protective charms on it, but Dumbledore was able to get threw them. The Potter journals on the other hand were blood-warded. That meant that only Potter blood could open them. If someone else managed to open them, the books would have destroy itself, and possibly take the offender with them. Harry shivered at the smile Ragnorock sported. Harry's thoughts were interrupted by the classroom door opening. He was surprised to see Theo and Blaise come into the room and sit beside him on the dusty floor.

"How did you find me?"

"Simple 'Point Me' spell. Take out your wand, say 'Point Me' and who or what you want to find. Only good for short range, but good in situations like this." Blaise said with a smirk. Harry couldn't help to smile at him and his theatrics, although Theo's words made him snort.

"So, how bad are you feeling?"

"I spent hours going over my accounts, I heard my parents' wills, and I just found out that our Head of House was named as a possible guardian along with Professor McGonagall. That is not even counting that Dumbledore stole personal family journals. He was able to get into my mother's but my father's and grandfather's were protected by blood-magic."

"So you either wanting to cry or break something?"

"Although living with our Head of House might be cool."

"Blaise! Focus on Harry, not having another scary parent."

"Sorry. Just saying. Anyway, we're here for you. We can sit here in silence or you can spill all you're woes."

"Thanks you guys." The three sat in silence before Harry spoke again. "Theo, did someone slip something into Blaise's lunch today? He's a little bit more comical than normal."

"Hey. Not funny." Harry and Theo couldn't help to laugh harder at Blaise's reaction. It felt good to laugh today to Harry. No matter if he was able to talk to them today, Harry felt good having Blaise and Theo by his side.

00000 Dudley Dursley 00000

Dudley was sitting in the room that his Aunt Marge gave him. It wasn't as big as his old one, nor did it have as much toys as he was used to. Not to mention it always smelt like dogs. Some of Aunt Marge's pit bulls were kept here, but she cleared them out for him, although the smell didn't follow. It wouldn't be so bad if he was able to have friends to hang out with like at home. But the new school that he was sent to didn't treat him like his old one.

Before, Dudley would be able to take other kid's money, or at least bully them into giving him what he wanted. Now, that wasn't the case since he already served two days in detention. Aunt Marge didn't like it either and forced him to clean cages the entire weekend. The hard work was something Dudley never experienced before, unless he counted chasing his cousin around the neighborhood.

Thinking of his cousin made Dudley scowl. This was all the little freaks fault. He had a happy family until that giant came up to take him to his magic school. He just gotten the tail removed when the people came to arrest his parents. They did nothing wrong in Dudley's opinion. They were trying to stop him from learning magic. His parents might have tried to hide it, but Dudley heard them talking one night about magic and wizards when they thought he was asleep. And seeing what he was able to change the teacher's hair and appear on roofs with just a thought, beating the magic out of him was obvious to him.

So what if he was kept in the cupboard under the stairs. That he didn't eat as much as them or had to do all the chores. It was the least Harry could do considering his parents had to take care of him and all the trouble he caused. Not that it mattered at the moment. He wasn't able to tell his aunt. Another one of those wizards came and did something to him to prevent any discussion about wizards and magic and everything else. The only one he could talk about it was a therapist that already knew about magic. That didn't seem to help though since she kept telling him that his cousin wasn't a freak. Dudley would think she would have similar thoughts as his mother since the therapist's older brother and younger sister had magic. But apparently that wasn't the case and he had to see her three times a week. Dudley huffed at the unfairness of it all.

There was also the issue of Aunt Marge not letting him talk or write to his parents. He didn't even know what was going on or when they would be able to pick him up from here. Dudley didn't like Aunt Marge anymore. She would make Dudley do housework, do homework and pretend that what they did to Harry wasn't good. She seemed to forget that Ripper would chase Harry up trees, it he didn't get bit first. If what they did to that little freak was bad then she should be in jail with his parents. The only reason he didn't tell his therapist about it was because he didn't want to be shipped to an orphanage. His parents would always tell Harry about the orphanages if he didn't do his chores good or fast enough.

Dudley had no reason to experience it considering what his parents said was true. He would probably be sold somewhere, or have his organs harvested on the black market. No way was he going to risk that.

"Dudley, get down here. You have homework to do before dinner." Dudley grumbled before heading downstairs. He hated doing homework.

00000 Bartemius Crouch Sr., Ministry Cell 00000

Bartemius Crouch Sr. sat in his Ministry Cell worried. Not only was he going to be in Azkaban, but he was going to be tried under Veritaserum. If asked the wrong question, he would reveal that he broke his son out of prison. That alone could get him life in prison. The fact that he's been using an Unforgivable to control his son could have him Kissed. Crouch shivered at that thought.

Crouch regretted ever listening to Dumbledore. He may have believed Black was guilty, but that didn't mean he should have just thrown him into Azkaban. He gave his own son a trial for Merlin sake. Now he was possibly going to be Kissed because of said son. If his wife hadn't made him promise on her deathbed, Crouch would of left Barty stay in Azkaban and see about climbing back up the political ladder. He was once in the forefront of being Mister once, Crouch was sure he would have gotten to the point again if he wasn't hiding his son. Now, he just had to hope that Winky would be able to handle his son, especially if the Imperious Curse wore off.

Noise outside of his cell brought Crouch out of his thoughts. He could also see Dumbledore across from him and couldn't help the sneer he threw at the man before turning to the approaching guards and a fourth man approaching.

"Bartemius Crouch Sr., you are being taken to your trail. You are charged with sentencing an innocent Lord of a Noble and Most Ancient House and possible other crimes under questioning. The right to refuse Veritaserum is waved considering the severity of your crimes. Your lawyer will meet you in the courtroom. Is there anything you would like to confess before going to trial?"

"No." Crouch was going to walk into the courtroom with his head held high. The two guards came forward and opened his cell before putting the magic suppressing cuffs on. Two guards lead him towards the courtroom he once dominated over. Before he entered, Crouch heard the lead guard interact with Dumbledore and couldn't help the little smirk before entering the courtroom. Nice to know someone slap the old man down.

"Dumbledore, here is your lawyer to review your case for tomorrow. You have an hour and I will be waiting out here to insure nothing happens. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my boy, although what could I do from inside here?"

"I am not your 'boy', Dumbledore. Nor did I ever fall for that old man façade." The guard let the lawyer into the cell and stepped to the side. It made his skin crawl think of everything he did and let happen. He remembered Dumbledore letting the Marauders loose on Hogwarts and never punishing them when their pranks caused harm. But he wasn't going to let that cloud his judgement. He was going to do his job and then celebrate the downfall of Dumbledore after his hearing tomorrow.

00000 Courtroom 10, Ministry of Magic 00000

Cornelius Fudge sat in his seat waiting for the trial to start. After the Sirius Black trial, he was hoping that this one was at least straight forward and didn't reveal anything else. Dumbledore's trial was already looking like a circus and hasn't even started yet. Even Bartemius' trial had caused problems. The amount of people he sentenced to Azkaban caused a review of everyone. The law department was swamped with all of it. There were already a couple of people to be retried already.

"Everything alright, Minister?" Madam Bones asked before sitting in her seat.

"Just thinking about everything that is happening. I don't think we've been this busy since the fall of You-Know-Who. I'm sure your department is busy with everything?"

"Yes it has. Thankfully there have only been a few cases that required Auror presence. The main things we have to watch out for at the moment are trials this weekend. Oh, before I forget, the goblins have sent over the paperwork to have the Potters moved to their family crypt as well as the additional charges facing Dumbledore. I also have a list of the guardians Mr. Potter was to go to if Dumbledore hadn't sealed the wills." Fudge looked at the list. He was surprised that Snape was on there, but the last notation made him sputter.

"This says that he wasn't supposed to go to his aunt and uncle."

"Yes. It seems that Dumbledore didn't like the people named in the Potter's wills. Strange considering he was a witness to the wills. You should see that among the additional charges." Fudge let a breath out trying to figure out how someone could do this.

"Make a list of questions to be asked and I'll add them to mine. After Dumbledore's trial, I will also be calling a closed Session, so you will have to attend as the Bones' Regent. We are going over how something like this happened and correcting it. I'll also be putting forth a bill to help other abused children. Maybe put the Muggleborn Registration under that umbrella to watch them more closely. I'm sure there are other muggles like Mr. Potter's relatives."

"I'm sure that you will get much support if worded the right way. Will Dolores be in charge of that or will someone else be placed as Head Director?"

"I think I'll reassign someone to the department." Amelia let a relieved sigh. She never liked that witch and always wondered how she got her position as the Minster's Undersecretary in the first place. Amelia knows she does things that are against the law, but without any evidence she couldn't even get Fudge to fire her. Hopefully the person in charge of the new department wouldn't be a bigot like Dolores.

"I'm sure that we can talk about this later. It looks like they're bringing in Crouch right now."

"Yes. Let's get this over with. Are the aurors in place in case something happens?"

"Yes. We even set some up in the audience to be sure."

"Good." Fudge stood from his seat and waited until Crouch was in the defendant chair before starting the proceedings.


	14. Prep Time

The morning paper was one that had every witch and wizard reading it like it was a bestselling book. This was seen in the biggest concentration of British magical population, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Everyone was in the hall early, a rarity for a Sunday, to see how the trail of Bartemius Crouch Sr. went, and they weren't disappointed. The headlines spook for themselves and had the student body reading with a fever most professors wished they did for homework.

 **Bartemius Crouch Sr. Found Guilty in Sirius Black Case!**

 **Ministry Employee Frees Death Eater!**

 **Bartemius Crouch Sr. Uses Imperious Curse on Son! What Other Unforgivable Has He Used?!**

 **Bartemius Crouch Jr. Found in Family Home! How He Escaped!**

 **Is Azkaban As Unescapable as Promised?!**

Blaise had to whistle at the headlines and Theo even seemed to perk up when he saw them. Harry started reading the paper, forgetting his breakfast like most of the hall.

"Never thought I'd see the day that Crouch was convicted of a crime." Blaise said before biting into a muffin.

"Mother use to say that if his son wasn't named a Death Eater he might have become the Minister instead of Fudge. She always wondered why he didn't try again, but now we know. But that isn't what has us worried at the moment." Millicent peaked from her paper before hiding behind it again. Tracy seemed to be biting threw her lip before she caught herself and took a breath.

"You guys might want to turn to page 10. And Harry, I really think you should start eating before the rest of the student body gets to that page." The three boys shot her a look before turning the page. In blazing letters Theo, Blaise and Harry understood the girls' worry.

 **Albus Dumbledore Trial Today! Harry Potter to See His Tormentor Tried!**

 _ **Dear readers, it is the day that we never thought we would see. Albus Dumbledore, the leader of the Light, on trial. Today, for all to see, Dumbledore will have to answer questions truthfully about his treatment of Harry Potter. I am sure that many of you remember an earlier article about Harry Potter's home life, and how he was starved, beaten, and denied his Wizarding rights by Mr. & Mrs. Dursley. On further investigation from the DML, it has been revealed the Lord and Lady Potter never wanted the Dursleys to be in charge of their son's care. Not only that, but Dumbledore was already aware of that since he was the witness for both wills.**_

 _ **That's right, everyone. Dumbledore knew that Lord and Lady Potter never wanted Harry Potter to go to his muggle relatives and if that wasn't heartbreaking already, but two of the people on their guardian list work for Dumbledore. That's right, two professors of Hogwarts Witchcraft and Wizardry could have been caring for our savior behind some of the strongest wards in history.**_

 _ **I won't reveal the two professors' names for safety reasons, but one question has to be asked. Why didn't he want his own employees watching out for Harry Potter? If Harry Potter's safety was his greatest priority, why place him with muggles who hated magic? Dumbledore could of have had assess to him and could have been teaching him. That is if Dumbledore really had Harry Potter's best intentions in mind.**_

 _ **Going against Lord and Lady Potter's wills says otherwise. It seems that as a witness, Dumbledore would have known the reasons why the Potters didn't want their son to go to blood relatives. Reasons that we have unfortunately seen to be well founded. Reasons that Dumbledore ignored for his own devises. We may not know why he went against the Potters' wills, but we will after his trial today.**_

 _ **If that wasn't bad enough readers, the Potter wills mentioned that Lord Sirius Black was not their Secret Keeper. That's right loyal readers, he knew that Lord Black wasn't the Secret Keeper, but still threw him in Azkaban. To a place that makes the most innocent shiver at the mere mention of its name, Dumbledore threw a brave and selfless man in there.**_

 _ **I know that many of you are repulsed by this, and so am I. Dumbledore has already received the mandatory sentences for the crimes he is already convicted of, but I ask you, is this enough? This man that looked over Britain's children, shaped our laws and represented Britain to the greater Wizarding World, has ruined at least two lives. In today's trial, we will learn who else he has wronged. And I hope that he will get the maximum sentence and not a slap on the wrist because of his past. We will see dear readers. And for those that can't, The Daily Profit will update you on the fall of Albus Dumbledore.**_

 _ **By Rita Skeeter**_

Harry had to read it a second time before tearing his eyes away. The article would definitely cause the people to revolt against Dumbledore, but it also put even more spotlight on Harry. He didn't even think the contents of the will reading would be in the paper this soon. Harry's eyes widen realizing that everything in the wills might be printed. There wasn't anything he could do if someone at the reading told Rita what was written. She probable already had an article in the works about that for tonight.

"Mr. Potter." Harry jumped and turned to see his Head of House behind him. "I suggest grabbing something and coming with me to the Headmistress office. We should wait there until your guardian shows up." Harry looked unsure for a moment until his friends spoke up.

"Don't worry, Harry. We'll talk to you later."

"Yeah, and know that no matter what, we're with you." Everyone nodded and Harry couldn't help to smile in thanks.

"I'll talk to you all later. And can someone tell Hedwig what's going on?"

"Sure, Harry. We'll even give Hedwig her daily bacon."

"Good idea. Thanks guys, and girls." Tracy gave him a satisfied nod and Millicent even managed to grin. Harry grabbed some fruit and a bagel before following his Head of House out of the Great Hall.

000000000000000

Severus sat in his seat looking over the Great Hall. Looking over the full hall had him holding in a wince. Never in all his years here, student or teacher, has the entire student body willing show up this early for breakfast or be this quiet. Everyone was reading the paper and talking barely above a whisper. It was a hush that Severus was sure most of the Wizarding World was sharing before all hell broke loose. And considering that Dumbledore's trial was today, they wouldn't have to wait long.

Turning back to his newspaper, he was glad that he, and a number of his fellow teachers, were a fast readers. The stories past the front page headlines were just as salacious. The one on page ten made him actually curl his lip before he could control it. The only way that Skeeter could know anything about the wills was if someone told her. The list of people who would do that was low, so he might be able to find out.

"I see that you started on the story on page ten, Severus." Flitwick said while glancing at the students again. "It looks like the students haven't made it that far yet."

"Not surprising since the front page alone has enough drama to hold their attention longer than five minutes." Severus said while taking a look around as well. He was surprised to see Harry, Theo and Blaise walking in this late before remembering that this was the regular time for at least two of them. Seeing the papers and coffee passed, he needed to talk to Theo about that, he returned his attention back to Flitwick. He was sure that Harry was fine for another fifteen minutes, hopefully.

"True, but I'm sure that the students are going to have a lot of questions for the next week, and unfortunately, most will ask Mr. Potter instead of us." Severus winced at that. He was thankful that everyone was focused on their newspapers instead of the teachers' table.

"We will probably have to talk to our houses to curb it."

"True, it won't stop the questions completely, but talking to the children should keep them from cornering Mr. Potter too much. How is he doing anyway, Severus?" Minervia asked, her voice colored by her worry she tried to hide.

"It is hard to tell with him without reading his mind. Don't look at me like that, Flitwick, I haven't done anything of the sort. I'm just saying that he internalizes his emotions. The only time I could get a clear idea of him was at the will readings and only because it probably overwhelmed him." Flitwick had to sigh at that. Looking at Harry, he couldn't help but remember Lily glowing with happiness while presenting her son.

Flitwick had visited them at the hospital and remembered her happy face. Lily was joking about just missing James and the others, since she kicked them out to get something to eat. Harry was awake and seemingly alert for someone not even a week old. Spending a half-hour with them was a welcome light during those dark times and reminded him why they fought so hard against Voldemort.

It saddened Flitwick that such an innocent child was then thrown to the wolves after freeing them from those times and could possibly understood why Severus said that Harry was overwhelmed after hearing the wills. Looking at him now, a part of him wanted to hunt down the people who thought it was alright to hurt a child, magical or not. Taking a breath, Flitwick relaxed his body. Now was not the time to lose control.

"Severus, I would suggest getting Mr. Potter to my office until Mr. Tombs comes to get him. It seems that some of the students are getting to the middle of the paper and Mr. Potter has enough to worry about at the moment." Severus looked around and saw that she had a point.

"Thank you, Headmistress. Is it okay if he brings some food up there? It looks like he hasn't even started eating yet."

"Of course. If need be call an elf to get him something. We don't want him taking his potions on an empty stomach." Severus nodded in agreement before retrieving his snake. He couldn't help but think that the usual craziness of a boarding school would be a nice reprieve from this. He might even hold his usual complaints. Maybe. After the first two weeks. Who, was he kidding, he was a snarky git on a good day.

00000000000000000000

Albus Dumbledore sat in his cell wondering how it came to this. It's not like he was teaching the students any dark or dangerous magic. Thinking of all the trouble he got into when they were teaching it when he was a student, Dumbledore made sure that no one made the same mistakes as him.

Sure, Tom was a mistake, but the ability to talk to snakes was dangerous. Parselmagic was known to be one of the strongest branch of magic there was. Dumbledore couldn't let that power come to pass. It may not have worked out as planned, but at least Tom didn't learn more about Parselmagic than he did.

But that wasn't the reason he was on trial today. Today his treatment of another orphaned boy was on display. Harry Potter was supposed to be the Chosen One that helped him defeat Tom. But it seemed the only person Harry was taking down was himself. And the wizarding world was sure to follow. For Tom was sure to come back and start up his war as Voldemort. And if the last war was anything to go by, the only thing that Tom was afraid of was himself.

Albus thought about that for a moment. Maybe that was the key to getting out of this. Not many people really knew the levels in witch Tom delved into for power. If he told the courtroom, then they could see that everything he's done was for The Greater Good. Albus didn't like the thought of revealing some of the things he knew, but it was something that had to be done. He was still needed to guide the Wizarding World into the utopia that he saw.

A world where muggles and wizards would be able to work and live together in harmony. The muggles would wonder at wizarding power and beg for our help. And being gracious beings, wizards would help them and make their lives easier. In return, the muggles would want to help whatever way they could to show their love and appreciation. No more will there be wars and hunger with wizards helping the muggles lead productive and happy lives.

With a smile, Albus sat up straighter, assured that he was doing the right thing. Sure, he may have overlooked a few things, but everyone would know that he was doing the right thing after today. Albus may not like revealing some of what he knows, but it was a price to pay for the Greater Good and being the Leader of the Light. He was needed for when Tom came back to take up the mantel of Dark Lord once again. Maybe then Fawkes would come back to him again.

000000000000000000000000

Tombs was getting ready to head out to retrieve Harry from Hogwarts with the extra guards. Three other curse breakers from his old team were in town and happily took the job. They were in-between jobs and didn't feel like sitting around, or completing paperwork. Thankfully the goblins agreed with him in taking extra precautions.

It wasn't hard considering the trial yesterday. Bartemius Crouch Sr. breaking out the son he sent to Azkaban created a flurry that is still being straightened out today. If someone who was considered an uptight, but morally sound, prick like Crouch could do such a thing, then what other crimes could Dumbledore have committed?

Not to mention that the crimes Dumbledore were against the Boy-Who-Lived and the Man-Who-Was-To-Raise-The-Boy-Who-Lived. Tombs never understood why wizards like hyphenating people instead of using their names. At least it would be something funny to tell Harry after the circus that was about to happen.

"Hey, Tombs, we're ready to leave when you are." Charles Binley said standing next to Claire Willings and Brian Lest.

"Good. We are going to Floo to Hogwarts to pick Harry up. We then are going to Floo directly to the Ministry. That is when we are going to be on point. Not only do we have to make sure the reporters don't crowd him too much, we also have to protect him from Dumbledore's supporters. There will be those that will be angry with him about Dumbledore, no matter how much the old man is in the wrong." The other three nodded at that. They never totally agreed with Dumbledore, but never thought that he would do something that he was accused of. If they had trouble with accepting Dumbledore's guilt, they could only guess at the reactions of Dumbledore's fanatics.

"Are the Aurors helping us with this? It sounds like a lot of work for just four people. The reporters alone would be an issue if they press their luck too much. Add in fanatics, for Potter or Dumbledore, and we have a possible riot on our hands." Charles said with a scowl. When Tombs told them about a protection job with good pay, he didn't think he would be protecting Harry Potter. If they hadn't read the file on him and Tombs' account of the first meeting, Charles would have thought Tombs and the goblins were over reacting. But reading what he went through, he realized that it would take a battalion, or two, of goblin warriors to pull this off.

"Yeah, Madam Bones loaned us a squad of Aurors to us. They will be by the fireplaces and clear an area for us. They will escort us to the courtroom. Thankfully, only those with passes will be able to get into the courtroom. So we will leave that part to them and worry about covering Harry while in the courtroom."

"Are the Aurors going to only be situated outside of the courtroom or inside it as well?" Claire said with a bland face. She was one of those women that could turn heads with her looks, but she was quick with a hex if you thought she was a dumb blond. Tombs was glad she was available. Not only was she a great witch, she was also an even greater mother. Tombs hoped that would help ease Harry with everything that was going on.

"The Aurors will be in the courtroom as well, but they will be more focused on keeping the peace than protecting Harry. So be on your toes. There are too many factors going on today. After the trail, we'll escort Harry to the Floo. Us going the second the trial is over or waiting until it the crowd thins out will depend on how everything goes and what the situation is like. Are there any questions before we do this?" Charles, Claire and Brian looked at each other before Charles spoke again.

"Just two. Is Potter giving testimony during the trial? And is he going or doing anything else after the trial?"

"I'm not sure about the testimony unfortunately. Madam Bones couldn't give me a direct answer since they may need Harry for part of the trial. On the other hand, Harry is going from Hogwarts to the Ministry and back. There isn't going to be any other stops before or afterwards. Thankfully, the goblins don't need him again, but know that if they do, I might call on one or more of you again until everything blows over." Everyone nodded at this before everyone started moving towards the fireplace. They were arriving twenty minutes early, just to make sure that everything was alright and to introduce Harry to his extra guards before leaving. Taking one last soothing sigh Tombs lead his team to a job he knew was going to be draining.

000000000000000000000000

Harry was finishing the extra food brought, after Professor Snape explained what a house elf was and why most enjoyed being bound to places and people, and now waiting for Tombs to show up. Yesterday he got a letter from Tombs telling him when he was going to show up and the number of people accompanying them. Harry was glad about that part. The amount of fans Dumbledore has made Harry worry, never mind his own that might swarm him after the trail. Harry couldn't help the shiver that went down his spine. Professor Snape caught it and couldn't help to bring Harry out of his thoughts.

"Are you worried about the trial today? Or is the room too cold for you?" Severus smirked, showing Harry that the last question was a joke.

"It's not about the trial, not really. It's about the people." Severus eyebrow came up in a silent question. Harry felt a little braver and continued on.

"The people there, they're already going to have an opinion of the situation. They are either going to be the people who are fans of mine and think of me as this child that needs to be hugged and kissed and wrapped in wool to protect me from the horrors of the world."

"You don't look too thrilled about all the hugs and kisses." Harry couldn't help to snort at that.

"I accidently shocked Blaise the other day because I didn't know he was right behind me while coming around a corner and he is naturally quiet. I apologized of course, but if I react to someone being behind me like that, then how would I react when someone tried to hug me?" Severus was silent for a moment before responding. He looked at Harry, seeming to search for something, before coming to a decision.

"I think that it's more than that. I have had a similar childhood as you. My mother never told my father that she was magical before they married. By the time he found out, it was too late and he was angered. It wasn't until I was born and started showing signs of being magical at a young age that he finally took his anger at my mother, and frustrations about his life in general, out on us physically. My mother never had the strength to stand up to him or to even leave him. By the time I was able to make friends, the thought of someone touching me made me cringe. Even today, a gentle hand sometimes makes me uncomfortable because of the heavy hand my father liked to use.

"There are only a small amount of people that I accept that kind of closeness from. In time, and with the right help, human contact will become easier for you. I have a feeling that Theo and Blaise understand this already. But down the line and when you become closer to other people and they make you uncomfortable about hugging you or anything else, say something. If they are really your friend, the person will understand and respect the need to at least warn you when they have the urge to hug you. Believe me, there will be times when it is unavoidable. I would also suggest seeing a Mind Healer at some point. When the school physical begins, you can ask the Healer to recommend one for you." Harry thought about everything he just learned about his Head of House, and for some reason, it made him feel a little better and eased some of his worries. Harry couldn't help the smile that came across his face.

"I'm glad that I was able to help in that regard, but I have a feeling that wasn't your only issue for the day." Harry nodded before speaking again.

"I may be uncomfortable about the people who seem to be fans of mine, but I'm more worried about the fans of Dumbledore. I'm sure that there are those that blame me about him going to Azkaban and about spreading lies about him even though it's the truth." Severus couldn't help to narrow his eyes at Harry. The way he said that had Severus thinking that some of the students already started harassing Harry.

"Has anyone at Hogwarts said that to you?" Harry gulped before lowering his head and look at his hands. Before Severus could investigate further, the fireplace came to life with green flames. Tombs and three other people came out and dusted themselves off from the Floo. Severus stood up to great them, but not before throwing a look at Harry letting him know that the conversation wasn't over yet.

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Fudge and Amelia were in the side chamber of the courtroom going over last minute plans for the day. The trail and then the closed Wizengamot season right afterwards, it was going to be a long day for the both of them with little rest. Fudge was glad that they went over the questions and how they were going to be asked over the last three days. He was sure they would have forgotten something if they didn't have everything written down.

"Amelia, is there any possibility that Veritaserum won't work with his Occlumency skills?"

"He may be strong with Occlumency, but not to the effect that he would be completely resistant to it. The thing that we would have to look out for is him giving half answers or the Veritaserum wearing off earlier than usual. We will have to watch closely and adjust our questioning if either problems comes to pass." Fudge sighed but nodded in understanding. He looked over the questions again, making sure that they didn't miss anything.

"Minister, are you sure you want to call a closed session after the trail? Today will be difficult already, we could easily schedule the session for tomorrow."

"As much as I would like to do that, I have a feeling that we would be more successful if we did the Wizengamot session right after Dumbledore's trial. Hopefully, Dumbledore won't try to grandstand too much and we can get this day over with before dinner." The look Amelia gave him told Fudge he was being optimistic. Fudge smiles and shrugged his shoulders before a knock on the door interrupted them.

"Minister, I set the courtroom up for you and everything is ready to go at your convenience." Dolores Umbridge simpered. She completely ignored Amelia, who was silently grateful. Amelia Bones may be a woman of law, but she still had the urge to hex the overgrown, pink toad on a good day. How Dolores got a job here Amelia would never know.

"Thank you, Dolores. Amelia and I will be out shortly." Dolores was slightly disappointed that she didn't get a bigger reaction, but brushed it away. She was sure after the trial today she would be rewarded like usual. Closing the door, Dolores walked back into the courtroom and into her assigned seat. She looked over the courtroom at everyone below her and smiled. In her mind, this is where someone of her stature should always be.


	15. Trials Part 2

"Wizengamot session of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is now in session. Please bring in accused." Dumbledore was brought, with magic suppressing cuffs, into the defendant chair with his lawyer following behind him and the guards. Dumbledore hesitated for a moment, like he was going to ask for something before thinking better of it and sat down. The chains rapped around him the second he sat down, making sure that he couldn't get away. It seemed that he couldn't keep silent about this.

"Are the chains really necessary? I can assure you that I'm not a flight risk." Albus said with twinkling eyes and the grandfatherly act he's known for.

Many in the courtroom gasped at his audacity to even suggest that he be treated differently and not like the criminal that he was. Even Fudge was struck silent in shock. It took him a minute before he could retort at the man before him.

"Albus Dumbledore, it seems that you have forgotten your place as a criminal in these proceedings. The only reason you are not in Azkaban's most secure cell is because we want to make sure that your transgressions are only against two people. Now I suggest that you stay silent unless it pertains to your defense. Is that understood, Dumbledore?"

"Yes, of course, Cornelius."

"That is, Minister Fudge to you. Now, bring in the Veritaserum."

"I object! My client has not given his permission to have Veritaserum to be used on himself for these proceedings."

"Over-ruled! Your client had almost caused the end to an Ancient and Noble House and a Most Ancient and Noble House. His compliance is not needed. But do not worry, we will give Dumbledore the chance to explain answers that may need more clarification or explanation on afterwards." With a nod of his head, the Auror came forward with the vial and forced Albus' mouth open, placed the three drops, and took a step back. The defense lawyer watched on with some worry. Neither of them expected this, but when Dumbledore's eyes clouded over, the lawyer fortified himself for the trial of his life.

Amelia stood up then. Fudge thought that it would be best if she was the one to ask Dumbledore the questions and Amelia couldn't help to agree. She did cause a more severe look than Fudge, although she wouldn't say it to the man's face.

"What is your name?"

"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore."

"What school did you go to?"

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Who was the Headmaster before you?"

"Armando Dippit."

"The Veritaserum is working properly." Amelia took a breath and picked up the parchment of approved questions she and Fudge compiled. The first couple of questions were going to go over things they knew or suspected and hoped that the Veritaserum lasted long enough before the second half of the trial started. Neither of them wanted to wait another day before the Veritaserum could be safely given again.

"Dumbledore, did you knowingly seal Lord and Lady Potter's wills and go against their contents?"

"Yes." The audience seemed startled at this. They may have read The Daily Profit today, but to think that Dumbledore actually went against a will was shocking.

"Why did you do that?"

"For Harry Potter's protection and to make sure that he wasn't spoiled." Dumbledore seemed to struggle with this and Amelia narrowed her eyes at this.

"Is there any other reason that you would place Harry Potter with his muggle aunt and uncle?"

"I needed Harry to see me as his savior so I could steer him into his destiny without him questioning me."

"And what was Harry Potter's destiny that you had to guide him through?"

"Harry Potter had to defeat Voldemort when he rose again." There were screams and angry voices that almost forced a riot. Many of the Aurors had to stun some people to keep the piece. It wasn't until Fudge brought his wand out and let lose a couple of cannon blasts that the courtroom quieted down. You could see that he was shaken too, but his self-preservation as Minister of Magic overruled his fear.

"Silence! We all know that You-Know-Who is gone. Unfortunately, Albus Dumbledore seems to think that You-Know-Who is able to do the impossible and we must hear his defense, no matter how much of a farce we see it as. If you cannot control yourselves then the courtroom will be closed to the general public, excluding the reporters and possible witnesses.

"Aurors, please revive those you have stunned and escort any who are injured. If you are unable to witness the rest of these proceedings, please remove yourself at this time." The Aurors quickly did as told, as well as those who didn't want to hear about Voldemort. Amelia nodded at this, although she was aggravated that a good ten minutes passed. She was sure that Dumbledore wouldn't be under the potion's effects for as long as needed. Shaking her head, Amelia turned back to Dumbledore with a whole new set of questions.

"Dumbledore, why do you believe Voldemort will rise again?" Amelia ignored the flinches, shrieks and two people who fainted. The Aurors and Healers could deal with the people for the moment. Amelia wasn't about to give the madman that killed most of her family any power by being afraid of his name and if anyone else had a problem with that, well, they could leave the room.

"Voldemort did many dark rituals to escape death, although at the time I haven't been able to tell which type he used to prevent his death. His body may be gone, but his spirit still roams the earth waiting for the moment he can regain his physical body." Amelia couldn't help the sneer that came across her face before controlling herself. Amelia decided to come back to that line of questioning if they had time. And if the Veritaserum didn't last that long, Amelia had a feeling that getting a clear answer would be similar to pulling teeth.

"Dumbledore, did you knowingly throw Lord Sirius Black, then Heir Sirius Black, into Azkaban innocent of all charges and without a trial?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because Harry Potter wouldn't have followed my directions without question and I could not let that happen."

"If that was the case, why didn't you arrange for Harry Potter to go to those in your employ?"

"They're loyalty to me would be superseded by their loyalty and love to Harry Potter and his parents." Amelia had to pause at that. She couldn't believe that someone could be so cold hearted towards someone they knew since they were eleven. Shaking her disbelief off, Amelia went on with her questions.

"In the case of Harry Potter, did you intercept his mail from Gringotts and others?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"It would have informed Harry Potter that he was a wizard as well as having enough money to leave his relatives. Not to mention the other people who would have taken him in."

"Why was staying with Mr. and Mrs. Dursley so important?" At this question Dumbledore seemed to struggle again. For a moment Amelia thought he would be able to resist, but thankfully the Veritaserum won out.

"I erected blood-wards around the property based on the protection Lily Potter erected with her sacrifice. I knew that the usual power of love would not happen in that house, so I based it on Harry Potter himself. As long as he called the residence home, the blood-wards will stay."

"Do you know that could have damaged Harry Potter's core?"

"Only minor damage considering how big his core is." Closing her eyes, Amelia forced the bile from coming out of her mouth. The thought that anyone could risk a child's magical core like that was extremely rare, disturbing and just plain sick in her opinion. Even though she couldn't see the other individuals in the courtroom, their disgust at what Dumbledore was saying was apparent. Taking a breath, and remembering that they were running out of time, Amelia continued on.

"State anyone else you have committed a crime against."

"Severus Snape, Rubeus Hagrid, Sara Baltimore, and Perry Smith."

"What crimes have you committed against these people?"

"For Severus Snape, I ignored that he was in an abusive household as well as the abuse from schoolmates. I also interfered when his grandparents came to the school when they were willing to initiate contact, saying he didn't want to speak with the people who disinherited his mother, even though he never knew the full story. I also prevented Severus knowing that they named him the Prince Heir, and eventually Lord when they passed. I have also been underpaying Severus to the service to the school considering he is a teacher, Head of House, occasional Medi-Wizard, and in house Potion Master that supplies the school's potions.

"Rubeus Hagrid was framed for opening the Chamber of Secrets and I didn't show the evidence that would have cleared his name and allowed him to continue his education. Since I couldn't get the evidence against the true perpetrator, I allow Hagrid to take the fall for the student death when the Chamber was last opened.

"Sara Baltimore was sexually assaulted during her sixth year by a seventh year Michael Oxley. The male was from a good family, so I insured that Sara didn't report the rape or terminate the child she carried. When I tried to convince her to marry Michael, she killed him and then herself and the child that she was carrying.

"Perry Smith was a twenty-five year old, former student that came to me for amnesty from his family. I granted it, but when his father came and offered me 10,000 galleons, I turned Perry over to his father. I later found out that he was forced to marry an older man to settle a family debt by use of love potions. I believe he has carried two children so far."

The courtroom erupted into angry shouts, with a few people bringing out their wands. The Aurors quickly took action and started controlling the audience. Both Amelia and Fudge were trying to bring order to the court that they didn't notice when the Veritaserum was wearing off and Dumbledore came back to himself.

Dumbledore blanched when he saw the crowd and how the Aurors were having problems controlling some of the more intense aggressors. One witch managed to slip pass the Aurors and started raising her wand with a look of pure rage on her face. Dumbledore saw a red beam out of the corner of his eye hit the woman. Turning, Dumbledore saw his attorney with his wand out and aimed at the woman who was about to attack. Realizing that his lawyer shot out a stunner, Dumbledore sagged in relief.

"I'll make sure that you're protected until everyone is able to calm down."

"Yes, thank you my, boy."

"Albus, I suggest you start explaining what was just said truthfully if you want to get out of this without being food for a Dementor. I'm sure Fudge will be willing to swing it considering what you just revealed." Dumbledore managed to pale further at that thought.

"Yes, of course." It took a couple more minutes, and some stunners from his attorney, before everything calmed down. The courtroom was emptied except for the Wizengamont members, reporters, Harry and his guards, and several other people that Dumbledore didn't recognize right off. By the time Amelia and Fudge calmed themselves down and made sure everything was alright, a good thirty minutes passed. Dumbledore could see Amelia scowl when she noticed him coherent. Banging the gravel, Amelia called order to the remaining court.

"It seems that the Veritaserum has worn off of the accused. We will now go over the questions and answers given and have further clarification. If the court feels that the accused is not being truthful, we will recess for tomorrow and have Veritaserum used again. If the Wizengamont members feel that we have missed anything after the follow-up questioning, you will have the right to ask questions when I open the floor to you. Are there any questions?" When no one lit the globe in front of them, Amelia turned her attention back to Dumbledore.

"Dumbledore, the questions we are about to discuss is going against the Potters' wills and child endangerment. You said that the blood-wards around Harry Potter's previous resident was originally supposed to be powered by love, but was powered by Harry Potter instead. Why did that happen?"

"When Lily Potter sacrificed herself for her son, she tapped into ancient love magic that protected Harry from Voldemort's attack. The protection settled into Harry's very blood, the blood that Petunia Dursleys shared. The blood-wards tied into the shared blood line would protect the family from anyone who wished them harm and Dark Creatures. The only thing that needed to happen is Harry calling the place home and there being love to strengthen the wards. But if there isn't enough love between Harry and his family, then the wards would have drawn from Harry's core for a few weeks a year."

"And you knew that there would be no love between Mr. Potter and his family when you sent him to live with the Dursleys?"

"I knew that there was the possibility, but Harry was safest under the blood-wards."

"If his protection was your concern, you would have made sure that Mr. Potter was safe from people inside the home, not just outside. Especially considering your answers beforehand that showed deliberate knowledge that Mr. Potter wasn't going to be treated well if you were to be seen as his savior instead of his headmaster."

Dumbledore cursed in his head towards Amelia. He could tell that some of the Wizengamont members were starting to believe him, but Amelia squashed that when she reminded them about his earlier testimony. Dumbledore had a feeling that this was going to be harder than he thought and he wouldn't be able to get away with half-truths. With a mental sigh, Dumbledore fortified himself again. He was the leader of the Light and was needed if there was any hope to rid the world of Tom Riddle once and for all.

Amelia was also in deep thought. She could tell that some of the Wizengamont members would believe Dumbledore, even after his earlier testimony under Veritaserum. She looked over at the remaining audience and spotted the one person that might keep the Wizengamont from blindly believing Dumbledore's grandfatherly, hero persona. She just wishes she didn't have to call the person up to get the maximum sentence for Dumbledore.

"The court calls forth Harry Potter to the witness stand." That seems to catch Harry, and almost everyone else in the courtroom, attention. Harry flushed and bowed his head at the attention. Dumbledore's attorney seemed to catch this and stood up to object.

"Madam Bones, what is the point of calling Mr. Potter to the stand? He has no knowledge of my client or the reasons why he was left in the Dursleys' care."

"But Mr. Potter knows how he was treated while in the Dursleys' 'care' and can go towards your client's innocence or guilt on the child neglect charges." Tombs whispered into Harry's ear before standing up. Harry followed his lead and walked to the witness stand, Tombs guiding him where he needed to go. When he was settled, Amelia turned toward Harry with a softer gaze.

"Mr. Potter, we know that this is hard for you, but can you tell us some things about your time with the Dursleys?"

"What would you like to know, ma'am?"

"Where did you stay while at the Dursleys?"

"I stayed in the cupboard under the stairs. Even my Hogwarts letter said so." Amelia shot a withering glare towards Dumbledore before back to Harry.

"Can you tell us an average day, please?"

"Well, on a good day, I would get up around six and cook breakfast for everyone. I would wait until they were done and then wash the dishes. I might get a slice of bread and some water if I'm lucky. If I don't have school that day, I would clean the floors, dust, clean the bathrooms and bedrooms and do the laundry. I would then be sent outside to weed and tend to the garden, clean the gutters and mow the lawn. I might even get other chorus like washing my uncle's car, painting the front fence, or anything else my aunt or uncle could think of. I would work until I was called back inside to make dinner. If Aunt Petunia is pleased enough with my work, I'll get another slice of bread or a sandwich if she's feeling kind and Uncle Vernon isn't angry about something." Amelia swallowed and was almost afraid to ask her next question.

"What would happen on a bad day Harry?"

"Well, when I'm sent outside, Dudley, my cousin, and some of his friends were play this game called 'Harry Hunting'. They would chase me across the neighborhood. If I'm able to outrun them, or they get bored, then they leave me alone. But if the catch me, the beat me up. When I would get back home, my aunt and uncle were mad at me for coming back home in such a mess and not doing the chores for the day and wound throw me in my cupboard without feeding me for the rest of the day.

"Other times Uncle Vernon would come back from work angry. That's when he drinks a lot and if I don't stay out of his way, he'll hit me across the face."

"Has your uncle ever done more than hit you across the face?"

"Once, when he lost a big contract, he started hitting and kicking me. If my aunt hadn't gotten him off of me, I'm sure he would have killed me."

"Were you taken to a muggle Healer?"

"No, but I was moving into Dudley's second bedroom and Aunt Petunia took care of me until I was able to do it on my own. It was the only time that she showed any type of care for me." There was thick silence in the courtroom. No one was judged for silently crying at the heartbreaking story that made many of them want to go home and hug their children and grandchildren. Amelia looked around the courtroom. She got her point across, but it had shaken even her that anyone would leave a child in such a situation. With a heavy heart, Amelia dismissed Harry who was escorted back to his seat by Tombs. Amelia looked over at Fudge and a silent conversation happened between them. Fudge nodded and stood from his seat.

"I suggest a fifteen minute recess before continuing on with the questions. Aurors, please watch over the prisoner until court is back in session." With a bang of his gavel, court was adjourned for fifteen minutes. Four Aurors surrounded the chair Dumbledore was chained to, but giving him enough room to talk to his attorney.

000000000000000 Albus Dumbledore 0000000000000000000

Albus cursed in his head again while the court was clearing out for the recess. Even he could tell that he was in trouble thanks to Harry's testimony. He could only hope that the people's fear of Voldemort returning would keep him out of prison and under house arrest instead. He may not have the freedom he wished, but it would be better than Azkaban. No matter which level you were on, that place was pure hell. The chances of him living long enough to set the world right after Voldemort was taken care of was reduced greatly, especially without an heir to carry out his plans liked he had hoped. Albus was brought out of his thoughts by his lawyer speaking.

"Albus, what in Merlin's name have you gotten yourself into? You'll be lucky if you don't get a death sentence after this."

"It surely can't be that bad! I mean, once they know my reasoning, I'm sure they will show some mercy."

"Unless your reasoning involves Merlin, or Lady Magic, coming to you, then let us pray that you don't become food for the Dementors. So I suggest that you tell me everything so I can fight for you or I'm excusing myself right now." Albus glared before releasing a sigh. He didn't like it, but he knew he didn't have a choice.

"Everything I did was to move the Wizarding World from destroying itself. I may have lost my way with letting things go, but the war with Voldemort was already going badly and I needed funds to help combat him. I betrayed Sara Baltimore and Perry Smith because both of their families paid me and guaranteed their support for anything I wanted after the war was done. And they all have kept to the bargain, even after the unfortunate business with Sara.

"Sirius Black on the other hand was an overgrown child and a wildcard. But considering he didn't need that much persuading to leave Harry in my care, one can only imagine how young Harry would have turned out. I am sorry that he had to go to Azkaban, but it was for the Greater Good that he wasn't in Harry's life."

"And what about the funds that you stole from Lord Black and Heir Potter?"

"They went towards the campaigns to get some laws changes as well donate to Hogwarts scholarships. It's not like it was that much considering their families' wealth."

"It always matters, Dumbledore. And I would suggest not saying that or the court will hang you on that alone. Many of the members here dislike the thought of stealing family funds, no matter the reason." Albus nodded before getting back to the point.

"Severus Snape was someone I thought that I could use. I knew that he was being bullied, but I thought that I could use him. If he joined Voldemort's ranks, he would be a great double agent. Unfortunately, he had a disagreement with one of his friends and ran to the Death Eaters before I could approach him. He came to me eventually, and I used the information he provided to save a lot of lives."

"But what about You-Know-Who coming back? He may have done many dark things, but coming back from the dead seems a little extreme."

"That isn't the case. I have been preparing for his eventual return. I'm not sure which method he used and until I'm sure, then that is the only information I can give you to defend me with. That is, if you're still my lawyer?" Ignoring his twinkling eyed client, the lawyer looked around and saw that the courtroom was filling up again. He may not have liked this case, but he was a professional. And looking at it from a different point of view, win or lose, his reputation would soar with this case. Defending Dumbledore until the end would cause people to believe in him and his abilities. Hopefully it would provide enough business that he could make partner.

"I'll defend you, Dumbledore, but don't think I'm doing this for you and your delusions for the Greater Good. And you should answer any and all questions or they are going to force Veritaserum on you again." Dumbledore shivered, as much as he could, in his chair.

The gravel banging brought their attention to Madam Bones and Minister Fudge. Both looked ready to sentence Dumbledore the very moment. The only thing saving him at the moment was they still had a trial to go through and possibly more crimes to charge him with.

0000000000000000 Severus Snape 000000000000000000000

Severus Snape sat in his office wishing for the first time in his life to be in a courtroom. The trial of Dumbledore would answer a lot of questions that's been forming over the years, but him and the other Heads of House thought it would be better to stay at Hogwarts and make sure they don't do anything stupid, or in the Weasley twins' case, blow up part of the castle. So Rolanda and Septima got to go to the trial since flying lessons haven't started for Rolanda and Septima was just doing review with her classes at the moment and didn't have that much grading to do. That left the rest of the teachers to insure that the students don't do anything dramatic with everything that is going on, or allow Fred and George Weasley to run free while everybody is distracted by Dumbledore. Those two were brilliant, although Severus would never tell them that, but they were also insane menaces that need to be watched closely at all times. They still haven't done an opening, school year prank. It might be the serious happenings going on around them or that their prank is especially big. Severus shutters to think what he and Poppy will have to treat if it's the latter.

Severus shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts. The only reason he hasn't pushed for those two to be expelled is because unlike his tormentors, Fred and George Weasley weren't intently brutal with their pranks. Sure they may get out of hand at times, but that had more to do with not thinking everything through than trying to hurt or embarrass someone. They also didn't target one person or group like the Marauders did. Everyone was fair game to them.

It was a shame to Severus that they didn't apply themselves to their studies as much as to their pranks. Nobody can make the type of pranks they do and only get Acceptables and the occasional Exceed Expectations. If they took their studies more seriously, then someone would be willing to invest with their joke shop. Although, thinking about it, those two not being able to mass produce their products would save all teachers minds. The thought of dealing with more than two or three competent pranksters is a fear all teachers share. Severus still remembers when he and Poppy had to treat a quarter of the student body because the twins' prank caused all their hair to fall out instead of being red and gold for a Quidditch game. They forgot to account for hair products some might be using. So not only did Severus have to make a ridiculous amount of Hair Growing Tonic, but also had to help Poppy figure out what potion those little cretins used for their prank. An entire weekend re-growing hair was not the highlight of his life. Both Severus and Poppy was thankful that the affected area didn't go below the shoulders.

Shuddering at the thought, Severus trained his thoughts back to his lesson plans. If he got this out of the way, then his weekends would only consist of grading papers, watching detentions, restocking the hospital wing, and hopefully researching some new potion ideas that he hasn't gotten around to. Severus had to pause at that. Maybe looking into an apprentice wouldn't be such a bad idea at the moment. There were some promising students, and without Dumbledore here to distract, or dissuade, from the idea, Severus could get an apprentice or an assistant, with a promise of a letter of recommendation if they did well, and pass some of the work onto them. Especially some of the samples he takes from failed potions. Figuring out how a Boil Cure potion causes someone to have an extra eye will be good training in any direction the student takes with their Potions Mastery. Not to mention that they could get a potion job anywhere since he is one of the few British Potion Masters internationally accredited. With a smirk, Severus pulled out the files for his fifth thru seventh year potions class. Figuring out who will get the chance to be his apprentice was more rewarding that reviewing his lesson plans again.

00000000000000000 Septima Vector & Rolanda Hooch 000000000000000000

Septima and Rolanda sat on a bench outside the courtroom in silent shock. They managed to be able to stay for the rest of the proceedings inside the courtroom as possible character witnesses for Dumbledore, but after listening to Harry Potter recount his home life neither of them could think of a single good thing to say about Dumbledore at the moment. Septima couldn't help but think of Severus as well. Both of them were private people, but to think that he was abused to the point that Dumbledore should have stepped in and removed him from his home is shocking. It also explained how he was so good at spotting abuse in his own House so easily. And as bad as it seemed, Septima was glad that Severus was the one to do it. She's seen him with those students on occasion, and she doubted that they would open up to her as they open up to Severus.

"Do you think that we should talk to Severus and Hagrid privately or when we have the meeting tonight?" Septima jumped at the sound of Rolanda's voice before actually hearing the question. Septima blanched at the question and for not thinking of Hagrid. Thanks to Dumbledore, Hagrid wasn't able to finish his education, or even carry a wand to practice magic with. Taking a deep breath, she actually thought about the question before answering Rolanda.

"I think we should tell them away from the others. Hagrid will take time to convince that Dumbledore did him a disservice and will need time to come to grip with it." Rolanda nodded at that before throwing her two knuts in.

"Not to mention that he gets overly emotional at times. Might want to let him experience that in piece." Who's piece was left silent between the two of them. "Severus is the one the worries me the most." Septima's sharp eyes turned to Rolanda who met them head on.

"How so?"

"It's true that out of everyone, he had the most control over his emotions. Doesn't seem that surprising now that I know a little of his childhood and Dumbledore admitting that Severus was a spy against that madman of a Dark Lord. He wouldn't have survived otherwise. But knowing that Dumbledore knew of his torment as a child and did nothing will anger him. Knowing that his grandparents wanted to talk to him and possible take him, and maybe his mother, out of that situation might cause him to search the Ministry so he could kill Dumbledore himself." Rolanda couldn't help to agree with that and shuttered to think what Severus could do. Many people forget that Severus had gotten a Dueling and Spell Crafting Masters a couple of years after his Potions Mastery.

"Add to that he's technically a Lord will not make this any prettier." Both looked at each other before facing the courtroom doors again. "Let's prey on Lady Magic that Dumbledore doesn't get out. What Severus will do to him will make the Dementors seem kind." Rolanda shivered at that. Even among Slytherins, everyone was wary of Severus' temper. Easy to ignite, but slow to burn, his revenge could last for years if his patience was willing. "We should have him take a Calming Drought as well. At least then we will have a little time before he starts throwing hexes at his furniture."

"A very strong Calming Drought, and a reminder that children are near to lessen the destruction to his rooms and office."

"Agreed." The two waited in silence to be let back into the courtroom, both lost in their own thoughts. To think the crimes a Headmaster was able to do to people he supposedly cared for and swore to protect. Both knew that whatever good Dumbledore did for the world would be overshadowed by the evil reveled today.


End file.
